TLPL: The Legend of Everfree
by MaggiesHeartLove
Summary: Every story has a beginning, but not all end in happiness. But much like the changing of the seasons, a story does always end, it takes on a new form. When magic runs rapid, old friends reunite, and a fallen soldier will return, with the guidance of two heroines who have also once reached their lowest point, only to rise again. Can Kuvira find the courage to write a new story?
1. Chapter 1

She tossed and turned in her covers, her hands trembled, feeling cold despite the warmness of her bed sheets. The sound of her friend's mumbling in his sleep went mute in her ears. Her midnight hair wrapped around her upper torso as she turned left and right.

"No." she muttered in her sleep, her nails digging into the bed. "It can't be. It isn't true."

"Um, Twilight." a soft voice sounded from the outside of her door. While it wasn't enough to wake her, it most certainly woke up her furry friend. He wagged his tail happily and scratched his paws against the door. Only did the much louder voice of her friend did she finally manage to stir away from her visions long enough to wake up.

"Twilight! The buss for Camp Everfree leaves in ten minutes!"

She rubbed her sleepy eyes before gasping. "Oh, no, no, no, no! I can't believe I overslept!"

"Me neither. That's not like you." Sunset Shimmer said once she opened the door, allowing the rest of her friends to walk into Twilight's room. Twilight herself was already up and up, quickly put on her glasses and frantically pulled her bag from her closet.

"I know!" Twilight replied as she opened her luggage.

"Don't you have like a super annoying alarm clock, _Aehr! Aehr! Aerh! Aerh!"_ Pinkie Pie said, imitating an alarm clock buzzer. Speak of the evil, the very same alarm clock was sounding off right underneath Twilight's pillow, bouncing up and down until Sunset shut it off.

"It's gonna be fine." Sunset said kindly, "We'll help you pack."

One by one, the girls helped place all of the essentials in Twilight's bag. Spike packed in his favorite dog toy, and Rainbow Dash…packed a picture of herself for some reason.

However, it wasn't nearly was out of place as Rarity's choice. Applejack face palmed herself, seeing the pink gown her friend was about to fold and place inside the luggage.

"We're gonna be out in the woods. When's she gonna need that?"

Rarity rolled her eyes, "If we were going to the moon, I'd insist she'd pack an evening gown. One never knows, darling."

Twilight sighed in relief, seeing all of her new friends helping her get ready. None of the other students at her old school would be this generous to her. "Let me just get changed." she said, picking out her camp shirt, looking at herself at the full body mirror. Hard to believe it had been a whole year since she met her friends, she even updated from wearing her bun all the time to a high ponytail, held up by a star-shaped hair clip. She had grown not only more confident in herself and her talents, but also more outgoing, fun-loving and spirited, especially once she discovered her love of music.

"Oh, that reminds me, could you-"

"Got your laptop." Sunset interrupted, winking confidently as she placed the said object into the case. "Got some new mixes to listen to on the trip?"

"You know it!" Twilight said enthusiastically. She used her knowledge and passion for science and computer knowledge to create her own music mixing program on her computer to compose all sorts of musical combinations. She never would have discovered this talent had it not been for her friend's band…and her boyfriend, of course.

All anxieties she felt during her nightmare faded away as to the point she couldn't even remember what it was she was dreaming in the first place.

Until… _she_ appeared.

A pair of dark feathered wings emerged from Twilight's back as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. A horrible winged creature emerged, her eyes glowing an eerie blue, her twisted horn sticking out from her forehead in the most vile manner possible. She turned around, hoping it was all in her head, but the combined screams of terror from her friends proved otherwise.

" _Midnight Sparkle?!_ "

"How is this possible? My friends helped me defeat you at the Friendship Games!"

The demonic apparition only laughed, "You and your friends can never truly defeat me!" she said, followed by a maniacal laughter.

Twilight felt the ground shake and her entire room started to disappear, particle by particle. Her friends tried to run, but they didn't even get the chance. Their bodies turned white from head to toe and vaporizing away, screaming for her help, reaching their hands out, the desperation in their eyes struck Twilight's heart and there was nothing she could do.

"No!" Twilight screamed, her back pressing against the mirror as the rest of her room faded, bit by bit, leaving nothing but an empty void. Floorless and topless, with no apparent end in sight. She heard her double's voice echo in her ear and rushed away as the creature reached out from the mirror, extending her hand to grab her.

"Midnight Sparkle is a part of you!" she said as the lat bit of the floor disappeared, but instead of falling down for eternity as Twilight had originally feared, she floated in space. Objects from her room, her telescope, her bed, her books even some of her old trophies floated around her, completely out of arms reach. But none of these material possessions could replace the void that was left when her friends disappeared right before her eyes as if they never existed to begin with.

But the worse was yet to come.

Midnight Sparkle appeared before her, her body increasing in size, laughing maniacally, her gigantic wings spread out that could practically fill up the entire empty void, her flame-like hair dancing upwards.

"I'll always be there waiting in the darkest shadows of your mind. I'll be back, Twilight! And _this_ time, I won't stop until I have _all_ the magic!"

Twilight's body felt cold and hard like stone. She couldn't move, she was completely at the mercy of Midnight Sparkle, who began to merge herself right into Twilight's body. She could feel the stinging pain of the wings on her back, the fire around her eyes returning, attempting so ferociously to blind her to the light again, and the horn on her forehead was only moment away from filling her brain with such vile, heartless thoughts that would chain her once again to the sins of the past.

"No! _**STOP!"**_

(~)

"Twilight! Twilight, wake up!"

The young woman gasped and nearly fell from her chair, only to be caught by his strong loving arms and met his warm gaze. Unlike her dream, her room was entirely different. From her bed, to her belongings. Her bed was still untouched, indicating she hadn't slept in it. And judging by the time on her nightstand clock, she'd say she fell asleep on her desk…again.

Flash kindly helped he stand back up. She wasn't even in her pajamas, but rather her normal every day clothes.

"You had the dream again, didn't you?" he said. It didn't take a genius for one to figure that out, but since he had been aware of her projects for the past several weeks, he knew better than anyone else on campus. "Did you learn anything else?"

"No. It was the exact same thing. Midnight Sparkle and that camp trip we took during our senior year." Twilight said. "That's one too many times, Flash. It can't be a coincidence." she rushed to a board on her wall, just like the one she had at Crystal Prep, it was filled with pictures. Some were her old ones from Canterlot High. She took a note she had on her desk and placed yet another picture on the wall.

"So, you really think that the magic's coming back?" Flash asked. "After all this time?"

"I don't think it was ever really gone to begin with." Twilight said, and noticing the questionable expression on his face, she showed him what she had concluded. She theorized it for a long time, and this last dream concluded her hypothesis.

"From what I gathered, the magic didn't disappear… it relocated." she pointed her finger at the picture on her wall. A place she and Flash had not been to since they were seventeen.

Camp Everfree.

(~)

 **Bet ya didn't see this coming, did ya? Yeah, needles to say, I'm going to completely reinvent the Everfree film. Since I was already spoiled by the plot (I regret nothing), it gave me enough time to think of what I was going to do. Instead of a prequel, it will take place in between the end of book 4 and Shadow of Ronin. But, with another LoK character joining Sunset and Starlight instead. You'll see who I'm talking about.**

 **Enjoy this sneak peek until the actual movie comes out. And get ready for some mega twists! Man, it feels great to be back!**

 **God bless, kiss kiss!**


	2. Old stories, new chapter

**Old stories, new chapter**

Sunset Shimmer tapped her lower lip with the end of her pencil, her eyes shifting up and down, her mind digging deep for any missing details. Her ears perked upwards and immediately wrote down what she remembered. Hard to believe it was already two and a half years since Kuvira's attack on Republic City. The place was back to its original glory (thanks to some magical assistance from the Elements of Harmony themselves), and a new spirit portal rested beautifully in the center of the spirit wilds. The vines grew around it, making it look like a beautiful tower with vines wrapped around it. The lights was a bit much for the city folk, so the spirits were kind enough to at least dim it a tiny bit, but the rest of the golden light still stood upwards to the sky in all its beauty. A long pathway for humans to crossover into the spirit world was open twenty four seven, with an arch-like opening around the portal for easy access. It was truly humans and spirits coexisting at its best. But, that wasn't the only blessing in the recent year.

Korra and Mako were now the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. Te very first natural born human alicorn. Granted, she didn't show immediate signs of powerful magic only two days after her birth like Flurry Heart did, but after several months, she was now showing the signs. And, needless to say, it was a full time job to the parents to make sure she didn't accidentally blow anything up.

As if that wasn't enough, Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry were now happily married…and expecting a child of their own!

Even Bolin and Asami were blessed with a child. A beautiful boy named Hiro, named in honor of Asami's deceased father. Hiro was born a few months after Iris. Asami couldn't be happier, not only did she and Bolin have a family of their own, but it would be getting bigger. Yes, she was pregnant…again. This time, it would be a girl. Many were rather surprised, but still showed their joy and support for the two.

As for everybody else, life went as it always did. The airbenders continued spreading harmony and peace throughout the world, many of the scouts having assassinated the earth kingdom when Kuvira was still in charge. While Korra was missing, her memories being altered by a magical potion, airbenders, both human and pony, traveled everywhere to help earth kingdom citizens in need. Some even stayed for more than a few days. For this reason, many of Team Avatar couldn't interact with all of their airbender friends. Even Kai, who had become one of their most airbenders and well on his way to becoming a master, was with the scouts, primarily with Daw, Moon Dancer and Starlight Glimmer, helping the poor victims of Kuvira's reign of terror, while at the same time searching for the missing Avatar. When Kuvira came to attack the city, they all returned as quickly as they possibly could, preparing themselves for the battle of a lifetime while also helping citizens evacuate the city. It was because of this, added with her new responsibilities at Future Industries, that Sunset had little to get to spend with an old friend of hers.

The bell of the door rang and a familiar voice caught the anthro unicorn's attention.

"Hey, Sunny!"

"Starry eyes!" Sunset rose from her seat, happily greeting her old friend, Starlight Glimmer.

Starlight, much like Sunset Shimmer, was a unicorn gifted with incredible magical talent that did not go unnoticed by Twilight and Korra. However, she once used said talent to rip an entire village of ponies of their cutie marks with a twisted ideology of equality and friendship. While not the same motives as Sunset Shimmer had, which was power and superiority, they both felt great remorse for their past actions and were only redeemed thanks to the Magic of Friendship.

They first met when Starlight, out of curiosity, fell into the mirror and met Sunset Shimmer just as she was stepping out of school. The two became acquainted and related to one another almost immediately. The two talked for hours on end, become fast friends. While not exactly identical in past actions, they could definitely relate to having done something you're not particularly proud of, and wanting to learn more about magic. Sunset Shimmer introduced her to her human counterpart friends, who welcomed her with open arms. Starlight spent a lot of time there, getting to know everyone. While they now had more time to spend together, Starlight Glimmer did eventually marry her childhood best friend, Sunburst, so she was off for a while afterwards. Now that she had returned month prior, the two could spend time together like the old days.

"I'm so glad you made it!" Sunset said happily while offering her friend her seat opposite hers. They agreed to meet for lunch at Narrok's Noodles, the best eatery in the city in their opinion.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it." Starlight said, "I can't remember the last time where we could just sit down and talk like we used to."

"I know what you mean. It's almost two years since that while Siren Kuvira attack, and with rebuilding the Earth Kingdom. It feels like it only happened a few months ago."

"Yeah. Funny how the scars of war still feel so fresh after a while."

"How's Sunburst doing, by the way?"

"He's fine. Had some patrolling to do today and he won't be back until eight tonight, so I've got the whole day planned."

"Great!" Sunset beamed, until Starlight noticed the book on the table and gave a knowing smirk. Sunset blushed and placed it back into her bag. "I got bored while waiting for you."

"How far have you gotten?" Starlight asked, genuinely invested in her friend's personal project.

"At this point, I'm halfway through the third book. It's a little hard to keep track of so many details when you weren't there through all of them."

"It's a pretty tall order." Starlight said, "Not that I don't think you can do it, but it may take some time for you to document _everything_ that's happened since the Mane Six first came to the city."

Sunset looked out the window, seeing ponies, spirits and humans happily smiling and chatting. To think, what felt like a long time ago, this city was once torn between benders and non benders, and now three completely different races and species were coexisting peacefully. The city had completely changed physically, that even if Avatar Aang had witnessed it now, he would be beaming with great joy. He was always a man who believed strongly in friendship and diversity, and this city was a beacon of it. In fact, in many places, the city was dubbed "Harmony City."

"I know." Sunset said, smiling happily, "But it's not just their story. It's ours too. I mean, we both started out as sadistic unicorns who wanted power-" she pointed to herself, "-or a twisted idea of friendship. No offense."

 **"I haven't been offended by that in years." Starlight pointed out with a casual shrug. "Besides, let's not forget who was the one who helped saved Equestria that one time when Korra and the others were captured." the unicorn said while proudly inspecting her nails.**

Sunset rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure. But don't forget who saved her world from tearing apart when my world's Twilight became a power hungry she-demon."

Starlight rose her hand up in surrender, "Okay, let's both agree we've had out hero moments here and there. But, just a reminder, I was appointed one of the Air Nation's top airbender troops, with my own team, I might add."

Sunset arched an eyebrow, "Your ego is showing again."

"Sorry." Starlight said with a giggle but also sincerity, "I'm just really happy. Even as a filly, I never dreamed I could live this kind of life. I have such wonderful friends, an amazing career, and now my best friend is my husband."

"I understand. Face it, nothing turned out the way we originally planned."

"And it turned out to be the best thing ever." not long after the words left Starlight's mouth, did the waiter arrive and asked the girls for their orders.

"I'll have the pasta salad special with ice tea, please." Starlight said.

"And I'll have the honey oats with a side of fire flakes, also with ice tea." Sunset said. The waiter nodded and walked off to get their meals.

"So, what else is new?" Starlight asked, "Besides being Vice President of Future Industries and helping Asami and Bolin with the baby."

"Well, I've been looking up some old spells from Twilight's library, and found an ancient spell that can allow you to look into a person's mind and feel what they're feeling."

"Awesome! Does it work?" Starlight asked.

To answer her question, Sunset touched her friend's hand, and in a flash her eyes suddenly glowed white, similar to how the Mane Seven's eyes glow whenever they unite the Elements of Harmony. Starlight watched patiently as Sunset just sat there, her eyes glowing with her hand still on top of hers. After a few seconds, Sunset removed her hand, her eyes reverting back to normal.

"I'm almost afraid to ask but, what did you see?"

"Nothing I didn't already know." Sunset said with a shrug, which made Starlight sigh in relief…. "Starlight Drippy." Sunset snickered, making Starlight blush in embarrassment.

"Hey! I was five and it was allergy season! Besides, it wasn't funny when Sunburst said it, it's not funny when you say it."

Sunset stopped restraining herself and just bursted out laughing, "Sorry! I'll stop, I'll stop!"

Starlight rolled her eyes, only to notice her bad suddenly vibrating. "Uh, Sunset?"

The red/yellow haired unicorn saw Starlight point to her bag, and noticed that the side of it was glowing and vibrating like a cell phone on silent. Curious, Sunset rummaged into the bag and pulled out a familiar book.

"Isn't that the enchanted journal?" Starlight asked.

"Yeah. I guess I must have packed it with the others books by mistake."

"Well, open it!" Starlight said eagerly, "It could be important."

"I doubt it." Sunset replied as she opened the book, "Ever since we graduated Canterlot High there hasn't been any magical happening in the last three years." her green cyan eyes read the words on the page, which had magically appeared. Only for her once calm expression to shift into one of concern and, if possible, even fear.

"Sunset? What's wrong?"

The yellow unicorn looked up at her friend, her eyes shimmering. "Looks like I spoke too soon."

(~)

 **MaggiesHeartLove presents**

 **Based on the characters by Lauren Faust, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.**

 ***guitar strumming***

 _Will you be lost by time or be part of history?_

 _Will your story be told or remain a mystery?_

 _Will they sing your song, telling all that you have done?_

 _Time to make your choice, only you can be the one_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa_

 _As you join in the Legend of Everfree!_

 _(Hey!)_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa_

 _As you join in the Legend of Everfree!_

 _Hey! Hey! Hey!_

… _._

 _ **The Little Pony Legend:**_

 _ **The Legend of Everfree**_

… _._

 _Will you do something great with the time that you have here?_

 _Will you make your mark, will you conquer what you fear?_

 _And when you go back home, everybody there will see_

 _You were part of the Legend of Everfree!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa_

 _As you join in the Legend of Everfree!_

 _(Hey!)_

 _Oh, oh-oh-oh-whoa_

 _As you join in the Legend of Everfree!_

… _._

 _ **Tarra Strong as Twilight Sparkle**_

 _ **Rebecca Shoichet as Sunset Shimmer**_

 _ **Kelly Sheridan as Starlight Glimmer**_

… _._

 _Will you find your greatest glory?_

 _Will you be a falling star?_

… _._

 _ **Ashleigh Ball as Rainbow Dash and Applejack**_

 _ **Andrea Libman as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy**_

 _ **Tabitha St. German as Rarity**_

… _._

 _Here to learn what nature teaches_

 _Here to learn more who you are_

… _._

 _ **Vincent Tong as Flash Sentry**_

 _ **Cathy Weseluck as Spike**_

 _ **Enid Raye Adams as Gloriosa Daisy**_

 _ **Brian Doe as Timber Spruce**_

… _._

 _Will you be lost by time or be part of history?_

 _Will your story be told or remain a mystery?_

 _And when you go back home, everybody there will see_

 _You were part of the Legend of Everfree!_

… _._

 _ **And Zelda Williams as Kuvira**_

… _._

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa_

 _As you join in the Legend of Everfree!_

 _(Hey!)_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa_

 _As you join in the Legend of Everfree!_

 _Hey!_

*(~)*

 **For the rescind, yes I heard about the season finale, and this chapter may receive a few edits depending on how the finale goes. I won't give any ideas on how it will change anything, but be sure that this chapter may or may not be changed depending on the finale itself. Fingers crossed it doesn't completely alter my AU universe. I hope this once chapter, however, does explain better why Starlight was hardly present during book 4 (aside from the real world reasons, being that I wrote it long before Starlight even made her debut).**

 **Anyway, I'm very excited for this story and for what is to come. I'm hoping to get as many chapters done as soon as possible. I'm still amazed I was able to make this into an Aftermath story rather than a prequel like I original planned. I'm very excited for the twists and surprises to come and hope you stick around for more.**

 **God bless, *kiss, kiss***


	3. A fresh start

_***(~)***_

 _ **1 Corinthians 14:32-33~**_

 _And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints._

 _*(~)*_

 **A fresh start**

"This is crazy!" Sunset Shimmer said as she and Starlight walked down the street, the former still pondering on what she just read. "There has to be some explanation."

"What other explanation could there be?" Starlight said, "It was written in black and white. _"Dear Sunset Shimmer, you won't believe it, but I've been having these weird dreams and now I think the magic is coming back and I think it's connected to Camp Everfree somehow. Please contact me as soon as you can, Twilight."_ Seems pretty legit to me."

"But how? How could the magic just disappear only to reappear all of a sudden? It doesn't make any sense. And what does Camp Everfree have to do with this?"

"I don't know." Starlight replied, feeling just as confused as her friend. "Maybe Korra will have an idea. I mean, she is pretty good at figuring out this kind of stuff."

"I just hope she's not too busy with the baby. Twilight sounded pretty desperate in her letter."

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I mean, compared to fighting a gigantic siren powered robot abomination, this should be a piece of cake. And even more so for the Princess Avatar."

(~)

Once they arrived at Air Temple Island, the two unicorns dropped their jaws (and the book), upon seeing a little tan skinned winged baby already flying around the room.

Little baby Iris flapped her feathery wings, the tips dipped with shades of purple and faded to pink, all the while waving her little hands and giggling to her heart's content. The little infant slowly descended, only yo gently land into the loving embrace of her mother, who flew up to catch her and landed softly onto the floor. Korra held her child close, smiling proudly when she saw Sunset and Starlight.

"Hey, guys. Can you believe it? She's already flying!"

Korra cuddled her giggling daughter and Mako tickled Iris's chin, smiling like the proud father he was. "She's a natural, just like her mother." he said.

"That's great, you must be so proud!" Sunset said, briefly forgetting the urgency of the letter and smiled at the baby, who waved her arms, reaching out to Sunset Shimmer.

Iris was such a beautiful baby, she enchanted anyone who laid eyes upon her. She had a soft rounded face, with some subtle angular features, no doubt inherited from her father and would becoming more and more prominent as she got older. Her hair was almost as dark as Mako's but with tints of brown here and there, and her eyes were, abnormally, violet colored. Most likely a mixture of red and blue, but none the less, she was stunning. One could only imagine how she would look once she was mature enough, no doubt she'd have a line of admirers at her doorstep. Mako will certainly have a field day scarring them off.

"You guys are back early." Mako said, getting Sunset's attention.

"Oh, yeah, actually we have some…" Sunset bit her bottom lip, "…some news."

Korra and Makos joy slowly descended, morphing into concern. "What kind of news?"

(~)

The four gathered at Korra and Mako's castle, sitting in the lunch room. Starlight levitated the journal, flipped through the pages until she found the page where Twilight wrote the letter, allowing for Korra and Mako to read the words.

"It's a message from Mirror World Twilight." Sunset explained, "For the last six months, she's been having the same dream, over and over again. First, it starts with our senior class trip to Camp Everfree, then Midnight Sparkle shows up."

"Midnight Sparkle?" Korra repeated, "That demonic alicorn persona she turned into at the Friendship Games?"

"The same one. At first, I thought it was just some old memories flooding back, like how I sometimes have nightmares about my demonic self. But they're all exactly the same. No differences whatsoever, not even subtle ones. It's like it's on replay."

Korra took the book in her hands, reading the words carefully. "If anyone knows about seeing the same monster over and over again in your dreams, it's me." she said, tracing her fingers over the letters, which sparkled against her skin and on the page. Her eyes stern and focused, feeling her magical senses waking up.

"But Sunset's right. There is definitely more going on here than just a high school trauma."

"You sure?" Mako asked.

"I'm sure. I haven't felt this shock of energy since our last visit to Canterlot High. I don't know how, or why, but the magic is definitely still there. And if Twilight's dreams are indeed trying to tell her something, then your safe bet is at Camp Everfree."

"Then it's settled. I have to go back." Sunset said, determination flashed in her eyes, "If these dreams mean anything I have to be there to help my friends. Korra and I are the only ones who can figure out how the magic works."

"Wait, Sunset, I can't come with you this time." Korra said, catching the anthro unicorn by surprise.

"What? Why?"

"I can't leave Iris. She's already showing signs of magic, and with our Twilight pregnant with her baby, I can't risk leaving her alone. Not after what happened the last time." she darted her eyes at her husband, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, at least we fixed the window." Mako replied.

"You mean _I_ fixed the window."

"It got fixed, didn't it?"

"You see where I'm getting at?" Korra said to the unicorn.

Sunset sighed in defeat, "Okay, so I guess I'll be going at it alone this time."

"Not necessarily." Starlight took a step forward, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm coming with you. They're my friends too, and if there is some weird magic mumbo jumbo going on, who better for the job than two super powerful unicorns?"

Sunset smiled and hugged her friend, "Thanks, Starlight. We'll leave first thing tomorrow."

"We'll help back what you need for the trip." Mako said, as he and Korra stood up from their seats and hugged their two friends.

(~)

Sweat dripped from her brow, all the way down to her neck. She wiped it off with the back of her wrist. Her hair was drenched, even in its held up bun and the straw hat she wore to shield her eyes from the sun's rays. The perspiration stained her clothes, both around her collar bone and even her underarms. The soil was soft against her ankles but the bits that got in her shoes were infuriating. She grunted as she sunk the shover deep into the ground, creating a hole to place the seeds in.

Kuvira had been spending the last two and a half years working her debt to society. She had completely demolished her Earth Empire, lost all of her followers, and freed all of the innocent people who refused to follow her from the prison camps. However, while she did do some good for the Earth Kingdom, the Alicorn royals and United Republic allowed for the villagers to keep their new supplies and Satomobiles, but Kuvira would not be receiving any benefits from them, whatsoever. She did not own any of it anymore, they all belonged to the people and not her. They no longer needed to pledge loyalty to her to have a better life. They were free of her tyranny.

Believe it or not, she was happy about that.

Ever since Korra brought her back to the light, Kuvira had felt more than just regret for her actions. She was willing to work herself to the bone to pay off her debt, even though she knew nobody would ever really forgive her. Not that she could blame them.

She had friends. She had a family. She had an amazing teacher in Avatar Korra, who believed in her and still cared about her, even after she turned into a monster, but how did she repay her kindness? She slipped a memory altering potion in her tea, teamed up with a group of power hungry sirens, gave them their power back thanks to her own pride, stole Bataar from his family, nearly killed hundreds of lives, and to really salt in the wound…

She made Asami Sato an orphan.

She outright killed Hiroshi Sato, a man who had finally come around and was reunited with his daughter again. He was the last family Asami had, and she just upright and killed her only family. Now, because of her, she could never rebuild that family bond she had so longed for ever since her father was imprisoned. Because of her, Asami and Bolin's children will grow up without ever knowing their grandfather. Because of her, Hiroshi never got to see his only daughter walk down the isle, give her away, and be there for the birth of his grandson.

All she wanted was to make her country better so she wouldn't feel alone or helpless like she did when her parents left her. She never thought much about it in the past, but she hated the idea of ever being abandoned or neglected in any way, to the point where if anyone else's ideas or views did not align with her own, then she saw it as a form of abandonment. But Korra never abandoned her. She fought to get her back, she saved her life from her own weapon, held her in her arms when she hit her lowest point.

All this time, she cared about what she wanted, but she lacked the empathy and kindness Korra had. She tried doing things Korra's way, but it never worked, so she found an easier way. The sirens offered her what she always wanted; for people to actually listen to her. To feel she was doing something rather than just waiting around in a safe haven. At least she and Korra had that in common. Both wanted more out of their lives, to do great things and help people. But it was was their way of "helping" that difference them.

Kuvira had friendship, she had the teachings, but she did not have the patience or the humility to listen to them. She stayed for the hugs and the laughter, but when things got difficult, she turned away for something that suited her.

She spend most of her days thinking about what she could have done to prevent this. The sirens may have influenced her actions, but it was Kuvira who gave them their power back. If it hadn't been for her, they wouldn't have took over and she wouldn't have become a slave to her own creation.

But in spite of this, Korra still showed her friendship. Even inviting her to her wedding. It was a bittersweet moment, especially when she had to officially break up with Bataar. She wouldn't blame him if he never spoke to her again. Since then, Kuvira has spent all of her time working on serving the country. Though, no mater where she went, she was met with death glares and bitterness. Of course, she accepted this willingly.

The bell sounded off, and a man walked out to see her. "Alright, kid. You're done for the day." he said, tipping his straw hat and looked to see the work she had done.

"I could stay longer." Kuvira said, "I could clean the stables or-"

"Kid, I said you're done. Your parol officers are here to take you back to your prison house. So go get cleaned up."

Kuvira complied and handed him the shovel. She retired to the showers and changed into some clean clothes, changing her hair into a loose over the shoulder braid with strands of hair falling to the right side of her face. The Earth Kingdom officer waiting for her looked as stoic as ever as she got into the train. She gazed at the vast land before her. Even during her time as the "Great Uniter" she never saw the land so beautiful.

The trip back to her prison was a silent one, like always. Her officers never spoke to her, and she never spoke back. What else could she say that hasn't already been said?

She dropped her bags once she got into her cell. Her prison was in Ba Sing Seah, more specifically a wooden prison so she couldn't bend her way out. Not that she would even try, but still. The room was rather large, with a bed and bathroom and even a small table for her to eat, but overall, it was a dull place.

As expected, they left her meal prepared. Simple mashed potatoes with bread and water. It wasn't luxurious, but it could be worse. As she ate her meal, the door opened and an officer walked in.

"You have a visitor." he said in a monotone voice. The news got Kuvira off guard. Aside from Suyin, only one other person ever visited her. And since Su had visited only last month, that could only mean…

The earthbender stood up the moment a familiar winged humanoid entered the wooden prison, smiling kindly and holding a bag in hand. Kuvira smiled in relief.

"Hey, Korra."

"Hey, Vira. Hope you're still hungry."

(~)

The two friends ate the delicious meal. Kuvira ate almost as fast as roadrunner, bits of rice stuck to her lower lip. Korra laughed. "Calm down, the food's not going anywhere."

Kuvira wiped the food off with her chopstick and swallowed before speaking. "Sorry. It's been a while since I've had a home cooked meal. It's to die for."

"I'm sure Mako would be happy to hear it." Korra drank some of her water, "Good thing too, every time I come here you look thinner and thinner, and don't say it's because of the food here." her old friend stopped eating and bashfully looked away. Korra placed a hand over hers, and the earthbender could see the kindness in her eyes.

"Kuvira, I know you want to make up for your mistakes, but you can't kill yourself like this."

"Why not? I deserve it."

"No, you don't!"

"Korra, I killed a man!" Kuvira slammed her hands on the table, making the bowls of rice and the chopsticks move. She stood from her chair, tears already streaming down her eyes. "I killed Hiroshi Sato! I took away the only family Asami ever had! I took away a child's grandfather! I spent my whole life trying to make sure others wouldn't feel abandoned like I was, but I did just that!"

Kuvira sat back down, covering her face with her hands, weeping loudly. Korra stood up and hugged her friend, allowing for Kuvira to cry on her shoulder like the times before.

"Don't say you know what it's like." said the weeping woman, "You're a bringer of hope and family, and all I did was tear them apart."

"Just because I can't relate to everything you've been through, doesn't mean I can't relate to you at all." Korra said, once again, speaking in a loving voice that made Kuvira cry harder. The very idea that someone was still showing her love and care even after all this time still made Kuvira feel both relief but also great pain and guilt. She didn't feel worthy of it.

"I know what it's like to go through a traumatic experience." Korra said, "And something like this won't go away so easily."

"I can never forget it. No matter how much I wish I could."

"I know. You can never forget what happened." Korra wiped away Kuvira's tears and a few strands of hair from her face. "But that doesn't mean there isn't hope for you."

Kuvira wiped away her tears, "I still don't understand how you can be so forgiving after everything I did. After I turned into that monster."

"Well, I'm not one to dwell on the past." Korra said with sublet optimism and held Kuvira's hand.

"What about Asami? She still hasn't spoken to me, and I can't blame her."

"Well, like you, Asami's been through a lot too. Her mother died when she was young, her father became a monster, it's never been easy for her to let go of things as quickly." she chuckled lightly, "It took her literally six months to stop being jealous of me. But that doesn't mean she never will come around."

Kuvira knew Korra was trying her best to show there was hope for her, but she still couldn't get herself to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She felt so stuck, and worse, she felt she needed to stay there because she didn't feel she deserved the light at the end. At all.

"The whole world sees me as that monster who destroyed Republic City and took you away from everyone. That creature…that siren…she's still a part of me. Sometimes when I close my eyes I can still feel the transformation."

"That's not who you are anymore. Siren Kuvira is long gone."

"Doesn't feel like it." Kuvira closed her eyes and looked away, feeling unworthy to looking at the princess directly. "Every time I look in the mirror, I can still see her. I don't think it will ever go away."

"You're right." Korra said, causing Kuvira to look at her once again. Korra was on her knees, comforting the woman on her chair, "None of us can ever forget what happened to us in the past, and we trying to will only make it worse. What you need to do is learn to accept it and move on."

"I have accepted it."

"But you're still stuck."

"I don't know what else to do." Kuvira covered her face with her hand and Korra stroked her hair in a maternal manner.

"Funny you should say that, because this really wasn't a social visit." Korra confessed, catching Kuvira's surprise.

(~)

"Okay. Luggage, check. Extra clothes, check. Magic spell books, check. Voice recorders, check. Am I forgetting something?" Mako asked as he inspected the basic necessities Starlight and Sunset would need for their trip.

"I think we're good to go, Mako." said Starlight Glimmer. "We're going to a camp, not the other side of the world."

"Sorry, I'm just making sure you guys have everything you need for the trip." said the prince.

He, the two unicorns were gathered at Twilight's castle, preparing to leave for the portal. Twilight and Flash were also present, the princess's stomach already entirely visible, no doubt their baby would be due any day now.

"They'll be fine, Mako." Twilight said with a chuckle, "I swear, you're such a helicopter parent."

The firebender arched an eyebrow, "Said the pregnant pony." he muttered, only to receive a pillow to the face.

"Don't get cocky, fire breath." the alicorn said with a smug.

"Isn't Korra supposed to see you guys out?" Flash asked.

"Yeah. She said she needed to pick something up first." Mako replied.

In no more than two seconds after the words left his mouth, Korra entered the room, happily waving to everyone. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it, Koraaaaaaa…" Flash's jaw dropped the moment a second visitor walked in. Her hands behind her back and smiling shyly at everyone, literally zero confidence could be seen from her appearance alone.

Mako dropped the bags he was carrying and Spike literally passed out on the floor. The new guest gave a small wave.

"Hey." Kuvira greeted, feeling very uncomfortable by all of the eyes staring at her.

(~)

 **Well, guess who gets to join our two ponies on this adventure. In the next chapter, get ready for a reunion!**

 **God bless, *kiss kiss***


	4. Return of the Wondercolts

**Return of the Wondercolts**

Korra had to clap her hands hard just to snap everyone out of it. She knew this unexpected surprise would come as a shock to everyone, but good grief she didn't expect them to literally be paralyzed. It's not like they haven't faced worse reformed villains.

Twilight was the first to speak, "Oh, Kuvira. Hey, how's it been? You look…" she studied the human from head to toe. Her shock shifted into genuine concern upon seeing the differences between the Kuvira she saw back at the wedding, to right now.

"You look, thinner. Are you alright?"

The others took notice of this too, and they immediately felt sympathy for the former dictator. They had seen several reformed villains feel regret over their past actions, but it almost seemed as if this woman as just about ready to work herself to death. Even Spike woke up to this and felt sadness for the poor woman.

"I'm doing fine,Twilight. Thanks." Kuvira said, completely ignoring the reality of her condition.

"Not to sound rude but, why are you here?" Starlight asked, "I mean, is there something we need to know?"

"Glad you asked, Starlight." Korra said, wrapping her arm around Kuvira's shoulder and pulling her close, "Kuvira will be joining you and Sunset."

And again, the shock expressions returned. The bag, which Mako had taken from the floor, dropped again, his eyes wide once more.

"Her?" Sunset said in shock.

"Really?" Starlight said in shock.

"Now?" Mako said in shock.

"When?" Twilight asked.

"What?!" everyone said in unison, which didn't make Kuvira feel any better.

Korra forced a smile and spoke through gritted teeth, "Guys, a moment, please." using her magic, she levitated Mako, Twilight, Sunset and Starlight out of the room but not before turning her head to Kuvira, "Won't be a moment!"

The door closed, leaving Kuvira alone with Flash Sentry and Spike. The little dragon whistled awkwardly with his hands behind his back and Flash cleared his throat.

"Congratulations on the baby." Kuvira said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Thanks." Flash said, "I'm very excited."

More silence followed before Spike spoke, "I like the new braid. Makes you look…very nice."

"Thank you." Kuvira said kindly, only for the three to once again look around the castle, avoiding eye contact, trapped in awkward silence.

(~)

From behind the door, Korra placed the others down, sternly placing her hands on her hips. "Look, I know Kuvira doesn't have the cleanest record right now, but I'd expect you guys to be a little more sympathetic."

"Sorry, honey." Mako apologized, "We were just caught off guard. I mean, I know you and Kuvira are old friends, but why are you sending her to the mirror world?"

"Yeah, even I have to say that doesn't make sense." Twilight said, "And I know you better than anyone."

Korra gave a reassuring smile as she squatted down to the pregnant pony's level. "I know this seems out of the blue, but believe me, I think this would be a good chance for Kuvira to have a fresh start. She's been working herself to the bone doing her community service. A chance of scenery will be good for her."

"I appreciate you trying to help out an old friend." Sunset said, "But, I'm still not sure just what we'll encounter when we get back. You really sure this is the best time for her to get back into action?"

"She didn't seem to be in the best shape." Starlight said.

"Which is why this is exactly the right time for her." Korra said, "She's been beating herself up for what happened to Hiroshi. She's been helping people all over the Earth Kingdom, but it hasn't been doing much for her heart. I think she needs to find the right folks to help out, and I have a very, _very_ good feeling it's our old friends at Canterlot High."

Korra gave a wink and Twilight and Mako immediately caught on. "Oooooohh. Now we get it."

"I'm still a little lost." said Starlight, only to have her hair ruffled by Korra.

"You'll figure it out. It's time for Kuvira to move on. Besides, I'd expect you two would understand her almost as well as I do."

Sunset rolled her eyes, "Oh, right. Because we both turned into a crazy power hungry monster?"

"That. And also because you were both protégées with teachers who cared about you, but when you didn't get what you wanted when you wanted you turned away from them and-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Sunset said with a pout. Starlight snickered, trying her best to hide it with her hoof.

"She's right, you know." Twilight said to the two unicorns, "If anypony besides Korra can understand what Kuvira's going through, it's you too."

"Well, we "former bad girls" need to stick together, right?" Starlight said, wrapping her hoof around Sunset.

The orange unicorn sighed in defeat, "All right. I guess having a third guest won't be so bad."

"Thanks you guys." Korra wrapped her arms around the three ponies.

(~)

Twilight smiled as she watched her hometown coming into view from the window of the plane. The trip from California was a smooth one, though uneventful, but the thought of seeing her friends again brought her so much joy she could barely contain herself on her seat.

"I'm so excited to see everybody again! It's been a while since we've seen them."

Flash placed down the magazine he was reading and smiled at his girlfriend, "We saw them last year, Twilight." he said. Twilight gave him an annoyed look and the blue haired boy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, I know you're excited to see everyone again, I am too. I just feel bad we have to visit in a time of urgency."

"Me too. Everything's been going so great for all of us. Applejack, and Pinkie Pie are in Samson University, Rarity's at Fashion School, Rainbow Dash is studying law enforcement, Fluttershy's at vet school, and we're…"

"Still together." Flash added, winking at her.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "I was going to say music majors back at Melody College in California."

"That too." Flash said, only to have Twilight playfully punch his arm. "Well, on the bright side, we do get to see the old team back together again. I'm sure whatever it is that's going on, we'll figure it out." Twilight smiled, only to have it fade into a frown. "What's wrong?"

"It's just the nightmares. It's been so long I almost forgot what Midnight Sparkle looked like. Even if I haven't seen her in my dreams in a long time, I still feel she's a part of me."

"Don't say that. There is no Midnight Sparkle, there's just you. Besides, what happened at the Friendship Games wasn't your fault. Principal Cinch pressured you into releasing the magic you weren't ready to control."

"I know. But it was still partly my fault. I was the one who chose to open that device, and my darkest desires became real. And if these dreams mean that the magic really is back, then wouldn't that mean Midnight Sparkle will come back too?"

"No." Flash wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close and she rested her head on his shoulder. "You made a mistake, but the important thing is that you came out stronger from it. It doesn't matter what you did in the past, you're still the most loyal, courageous and kind-hearted person I've ever known. Sure, you can be a bit fiery sometimes, but you've got the biggest heart. Like Sunset once said, none of us are perfect and we can't change what we did in the past, but we can change the future. And no matter what, our friends are always going to be there to support you. And so will I."

One of the many things Twilight loved about Flash Sentry, he always knew just what to say to make her feel better. He just loved seeing the ones he cared about happy. He truly was her knight in shinning armor, and not one who would constantly rescue her, but stand side by side with her in battle.

"Thanks, Flash. I appreciate it." she cuddled close to him as the plane made its slow descend.

(~)

"Okay, remember, if anything happens and you need back up, just call on walkie talkie and we'll come as fast we can." Mako instructed as he finished placing the bags onto the two unicorns, who stared at him with deadpan stares.

"We'll be fine, Mako." Sunset said, "Let's not forget who helped you take down that giant spirit vine."

"I can't help it. Worrying about other people is kind of my thing." Mako admitted, only to have the unicorn hug his leg.

"I know, you big old softie."

Mako squatted down and hugged her back. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I promise." Sunset turned to Starlight, "You ready?"

"Been ready since we got here."

"Isn't Sunburst coming to see you out?"

"We already said bye before he went to work."

"Good luck you three." Korra said, placing a hand on Kuvira's shoulder, "You'll be fine."

All Kuvira could do was smile in return. She hoped she wouldn't disappoint her friend again. She watched as Starlight and Sunset galloped into the mirror, disappearing into the spinning vortex. Kuvira took in a deep breath and reached out her hand, feeling the pull of the mirror and reeled back. Seeing the confidence in Korra's eyes allowed her to suck it up and go in. With one step she completely submerged herself. It was like diving into a pool of sparkling rainbows. She screamed as she fell, already regretting this decision.

Before she knew it, Kuvira made contact with the hard ground. She opened her eyes to see two feet in front of her. Looking up, she saw the now completely human selves of Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer. Both lacked a horn, ears and tails, and their proportions were a lot rounded, and somewhat flat looking. Their heads were slightly bigger, as were their eyes.

They both helped Kuvira stand back up, and she too noticed the change in her body. She spun around to see her reflection in the base of a statue with a horse. Her head became slightly bigger compared to her body, as well as her eyes, though they still looked slender. Her hair was in a braid and wore a green shirt over a longer sleeves black one, and black pants with brown colored boots. Around her wrists were silver bracelets and a pair of earrings on her ears.

"Wow…" she said, gazing at her new transformation.

"Yeah, that happens." Starlight said.

Sunset Shimmer turned around, seeing the place where her adventures truly began. Memories flooded back like a tidal wave. When she first arrived here, she had such selfish motives, but after a while, she made genuine friends and found a new path for herself. Even if this place didn't last being her home, she wouldn't trade the years she spent here for anything in the world. The school still looked as majestic as it always did. She could already picture all of her former classmates walking outside, talking and laughing. In fact, in this very spot was where some of the epic magical battles happened. The first was during the Fall Formal, and the third during the Friendship Games.

Even now, she still couldn't believe how far she had come. Starlight happily watched her friend tear up at all of the found memories and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So, this was your home, right?" Kuvira asked, looking at the high school before her, which resembled the vast Equestrian capital kingdom in many aspects.

"It sure was." Sunset replied, still chocked up on the nostalgia.

"Do the others know we're here already?" Starlight asked.

The sound of a horn honking caught them off guard, and Kuvira quickly took on a fighting stance. The sound came from a convertible, driven by Applejack. On the back of the car were Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, all happily waving at their friends.

"Starlight! Sunset!" Pinkie Pie called out.

"That's a yes." Sunset replied. The two unicorns-now turned humans, ran to greet their friends, who enwrapped them in a group hug so tight Starlight could hardly breath. None the less, it sure was great to see them again.

"It's been so long, Starlight!" Rarity said, still looking as fabulous as ever, "You look smashing!"

"Thanks, so do you."

Pinkie Pie hugged Sunset tightly, "We missed you sooooooooooo much! It feels like years!"

"We saw each other last year, Pinkie Pie." Sunset said, but didn't bother shaking the lovable pink girl. She always did enjoy Pinkie's loving hugs.

"She's right." Rainbow Dash said, "I know it hasn't been long, but with how murderous school's been lately, I feel like I've been there for at least a decade."

"Well, you were the one who decided to study law enforcement." Fluttershy pointed out.

"I never said I regretted it. I'm just glad I could finally take some time off after finals."

Applejack then tapped on Sunset's shoulder, "Uh, who's the new girl?"

All eyes fell on Kuvira, who had been silent the entire time. She was still very amazed at how similar they appeared from the ponies back home. All they were missing were the pony features, Korra and Twilight and it'd be like she was back home. Then again, these girls were still different from their pony counterparts. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to make friends with them after all.

Sunset led the earthbender to the others. "Everyone, this is Kuvira. She's…an old friend of Korra's. She's going to help us."

Kuvira's heart raced rapidly once she took notice of the sudden awkward looks in their eyes. She could only assume they have heard about her. "It's nice to meet you all." she finally voiced out, foolishly hoping they wouldn't bombard her with questions.

The rest of the girls suddenly felt very awkward. Their eyes wide in shock and giving each other an awkward glance.

"Kuvira?" Rainbow repeated, "As in the chick who literally mind wiped Korra, practically enslaved the Earth Kingdom, teamed up with the sirens and literally destroyed Republic City with a giant robot machine powered by spirit vines and dark siren magic, _while_ becoming a siren monster herself?!"

"So, you've heard of me then." Kuvira said. So much for a fresh start. Even here people still saw her for her mistakes. Again, not that she could blame them.

Sunset blushed and scratched the back of her neck, "I may have mentioned a few things when I told them I was writing about it."

Kuvira sighed, hanging her head down in shame. "Yes, and no words can express how much I regret my actions." she said, "I don't blame any of you for not trusting me. I wouldn't trust me either. I was…foolish, and arrogant and too ambitious for my own good. Ever since then, I've been paying my debt to society. That's also why I'm here. Princess Korra sent me to help Sunset and Starlight. I won't ask you for your friendship, but I hope you can at least give me a chance to help in any way I can."

Fluttershy placed her hand over her heart. "Oh, you poor thing." the pink-haired girl wrapped her arms around Kuvira in a loving embrace. "I can only imagine how awful you must feel. But don't worry you're in good hands with us." she turned to glare at one of her friends. "Right, Rainbow Dash?"

"Well…." the blue skinned girl paused for a moment, only to be met with more angry glares. "Okay, okay! I guess if we can forgive Sunset for almost trying to destroy us, I don't see why we can't do the same with you. And if Korra and Twilight are willing to give you a second chance, why can't we?"

Rainbow Dash offered Kuvira her hand to shake. The earthbender hesitantly took it, and gave it a firm shake. "Thank you."

To Kuvira's surprise, she received a hug from human world Pinkie Pie. "Welcome to the club, sister!"

"Oh, darling, you look so thin!" Rarity said, inspecting the woman's body, "Come on, we're going to pick up Twilight and Flash at the airport. We'll get you something to eat on the way."

Kuvira complied as she got into the car, sitting alongside the others. It had been literally a few minutes, but these girls were already treating her like one of their own. Albeit with a slight bump in the road. Still, Kuvira tried not to get her hopes too high. As the others got into the car, Kuvira stopped Sunset and whispered into her ear.

"You wouldn't happened to have mentioned about…?"

"No. I didn't have the heart." Sunset replied back in a whisper and placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder, "Don't worry. I won't say anything."

The earthbender nodded in gratitude. While she didn't like the idea of hiding this from them, it was still a relief to know that they wouldn't hang it over her head. She was already doing a pretty good job at it herself. This was her chance to really make it up to Korra and the others for what she did.

She hoped she wouldn't disappoint.

(~)

" _Flight 17 to Hong Kong, now boarding._ "

"About time we got here. That room with all the other pets was way too crowded." Spike said, still inside his carrier cage, which was being held up by Twilight. She opened it and allowed her talking pooch to walk out. Spike had grown a bit over the years, while still not as large, he was definitely bigger compared to how he was back in Canterlot High.

"I know, Spike. But you know the plane doesn't allow for pets to sit with the passengers."

"Well, then they should definitely change that law."

Flash Sentry walked up to the two, handing his girlfriend her bag. "Here you go, Twilight."

"Thanks. Did you text the girls?"

"Yeah, they'll be here in twenty minutes."

The two walked out of the airport, hand in hand, with their luggage, only to be startled by an explosion of confetti showering all over them.

"Twilight Sparkle! Flash Sentry! Over here!" Pinkie Pie called out, so loud several by passers had to cover their ears.

"Make that two seconds." Flash said while removing the streamers from his hair.

"How'd you get here so fast?" Twilight asked, both surprised by undeniably happy.

"We wanted to surprise ya'll." Applejack said

Pinkie Pie popped out from behind the couple, "Surprise!"

Spike barked happily and leaped into Fluttershy's arms. Twilight and Flash were met with bright smiles and warm hugs from their old high school friends. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight shared a sisterly hug. "It's so great to see you again, Twilight."

"It's great to see you too." Twilight was especially surprised to see a familiar purple/aquamarine haired girl. "Starlight Glimmer? Is that you?"

"The one and only!" the two friends hugged.

"You haven't changed a bit."

"I could say the same thing. Still with the glasses I see."

"I thought about getting contacts, but they're just way too itchy."

Kuvira watched as the group greeted their old friends. Just like before, these two looked so much like her world's version of Twilight and Flash Sentry. Sounded like them acted like them, minus this Twilight having glasses of course. She wondered if they knew about her past actions as well.

Twilight finally noticed Kuvira and greeted her politely. "Oh, hi. I don't believe we've meet. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and you are?"

The woman bit her bottom lip before answering. "I'm…Kuvira."

Just as she expected, at the mention of her name, this world's Twilight became awkward and uncertain. "Oh, uh, Kuvira. Right, Sunset's mentioned you before."

"I'm sure she has." Kuvira said sadly.

Twilight nervously adjusted her glasses, "So, what brings you here?"

"Princess Korra thought I could be of help to you, and I hope to be." Kuvira replied, her voice sounded so…drained and almost lifeless. Like the life of slowly being withered away.

Twilight blinked, putting the pieces together in her mind. "Oh. I see. How is she, by the way?"

"She's doing alright. Has her hands full with the baby."

"I'll bet."

It was then that Spike came up and barked at Kuvira, wagging his tail and raising his paws up. Kuvira smiled at the little creature and, by instinct, she picked him up. "I'm assuming this little fella is Spike, right?" she scratched the little dog's ears, which only made his tail wag faster.

"Yep. Nice to meet you." he said right before licking her face. For the first time in a long time, Kuvira actually giggled.

"Okay, okay, that tickles!"

Sunset and Starlight smiled at the scene. Slowly, but surely, Kuvira was stepping out of her cold dark shell. Maybe Korra really was onto something. Maybe this was exactly the kind of change Kuvira needed after all.

(~)


	5. Catching up on old times

**Catching up on old times**

After getting the couple from the airport, the group decided to catch up on old times at Sugar Cube Corner. Kuvira was especially surprised at how colorful and cheery the place was. And how delicious their pastries and smoothies were. So much so, that she ordered several of their cupcakes and breadsticks. The others were happy to allow her to eat, considering she clearly needed a bit more substance in her body.

This was the first time, in so long, Kuvira felt relaxed. The only other times she did was when Korra visited. Being around these girls was kind of like being around Korra and Team Avatar. Them being counterparts of her friends back home gave her a sense of familiarity, and being in a completely different setting definitely took off the load of the former great uniter/dictator woman she was known for back home. Granted, they still knew about her past mistakes, but they didn't hold it against her.

"Normally I'd go for a more exotic theme, but this place is also my fav." Starlight said, taking a sip of her mocha latte.

"Sugar Cube Corner definitely has the best smoothies in town." Flash said after taking a sip of his. "One of the many things I miss about this place."

"I know." Twilight agreed, "You can't get these anywhere else."

"How's that music school treating you guys, by the way?" Rainbow asked, sipping on her coffee.

"Great. Flash and I designed the soundtrack for a class music video last month."

"It got over thirty million hits online!" Flash said excitedly.

"I saw that one!" Pinkie Pie said, "That music is so contagious I can't get it out of my head!"

"So what else is new in Republic City?" Twilight asked Sunset.

"Well, our world's Twilight will be having a baby soon and Korra and Mako have their hands full with Iris. You guys should see her, she's gotten so big already!"

"What about you and Sunburst?" Fluttershy asked Starlight Glimmer.

"We're doing great. We've been married for several months now."

"I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks. Oh, and Sunset Shimmer learned a new spell."

Sunset blushed, "Ah, it's nothing. Just a spell that allows me to read minds."

"So you're a mind reader now?" Flash.

"Well, kind of. It only works when I touch somebody."

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened in wonder. "Ooh, fancy! Try me! Try me!" the pink girl took Sunset's hand and placed it on her forehead. Sunset's eyes glowed a brilliant white and she saw into Pinkie's mind. What she was the girl skipping over a field of brightly colored flowers, candies and a rainbow sky all in a surreal environment. The candies, the sun and even the plants all eyes eyes and mouths, smiling happily. Pinkie Pie happily skipped along and took out the petal from one of the flowers, which was made out of taffy which she hate.

Once Sunset removed her hand from Pinkie's forehead, she just sat there, completely stunned. "That explains so much."

"Yep!"

Kuvira swallowed another mouthful of a cupcake, not noticing some of the icing on her lip. Once she noticed all the eyes staring at her, she stopped. "Sorry." she apologized.

"I'm guessing they don't give many sweets at that prison of yours, huh?" Applejack asked.

"Only when Korra visits." Kuvira replied, wiping the icing from her lip with the back of her wrist.

"You said you did community service." Fluttershy said, "What kind?"

"Well, you know, working out in the fields, construction work, things like that."

"How many days a week?" Rainbow asked.

"Every day. Thirteen hours."

Rarity spit out her drink in shock, "Thirteen hours?!"

"Korra had them cut it down to just eight hours and only five days a week, but I still volunteer to work more than that."

"Well, no wonder you look so worn out!" Rarity snapped her fingers, getting the waiter's attention, "Garçon! Bring us a slice of your famous apple pie, some fruit punch and water bottles, thank you!"

Kuvira blinked in surprise. "You really don't have to do that."

"Oh, I insist. Just because you're paying your debt to society doesn't mean you should murder yourself for it."

Kuvira didn't know how to respond to this. She felt…so touched by this act of kindness. It was the first anybody besides Korra had done something so nice for her. She still didn't feel she deserved this, but while her guilt said one thing, her stomach said another. Maybe Rarity was right and she shouldn't slowly torture herself like this. The reason why she was still alive was because Korra made sure she didn't starve herself yet. Even when she didn't visit she would teleport Kuvira delicious and nutritious meals so she wouldn't be submitted to eating the same slump every day.

The whole time, Spike sat on her lap. The dog took an immediate liking to the former dictator, much to her surprise.

Sunset placed her cup onto the table, a serious look dawned on her face. "As much as I would love to chat about the good old days, I'm pretty sure we all know why we're here to begin with." said Sunset. The once cherry mood had died down.

"It's true." Twilight said, both she and Flash sharing the same worried look, which was shared with the others. "The dreams I've been having."

"The ones with Midnight Sparkle." Rainbow said.

"Yeah. It all started a few months ago. I dream about the day we left for Camp Everfree, then Midnight Sparkle shows up and then I wake up. It's been the same every single night in a never changing pattern. Camp Eveefree, and Midnight Sparkle. After two weeks of none stop nightmares, I finally decided to do some research." she rummaged through her bag and pulled out her tablet, showing websites she found about magic, primarily forests and some sites about Camp Everfree.

"Ever since graduation Canterlot High, we never had any magical happenings. At all." she said sadly. It was a sad day when they realized they could no longer pony up the way they used to.

"Yeah, I miss those pony ups." Rainbow Dash said sadly, resting her chin on the table.

"So, I started thinking, we lost our magic not too long after we came back from Camp Everfree. It didn't happen immediately so it was easy for us to miss the connection."

"You think the camp took our magic?" Fluttershy asked.

"Freaky-deaky!" Pinkie Pie said, popping out from behind Fluttershy.

"It's a theory, but a pretty good one." Twilight continued to explain why showing them more images she found online with her tablet. "After looking up more information, I discovered that in many world folklores forests are known for containing magical energies, sometimes even absorbing them. Kind of like a magnet. And when I looked up Camp Everfree, I found some articles from hikers and campers nearby reporting seeing strange things happening."

"Weird how?" Kuvira asked.

"Like gem dust found all across the forest floor, strange lights underneath the full moon, even wolves howling at night."

"But, Camp Everfree doesn't have wolves." Applejack said.

"Exactly. Most are just brushing these off as hoaxes or jokes and the so called wolves are just stray dogs, but these are very recent. Interestingly enough, according to their dates, they started popping up not long after I started having the nightmares. If that's not a connection, I don't know what is."

"Wait a minute." Starlight intervened, "I can buy something weird going on in this camp, but the whole forests can absorb magical energies stuff, that's kind of a stretch."

"I have to agree." Sunset said, "Humans don't know how magic works the way we do. Half the stuff I read in comic books and seen in movies is all just superstitious junk."

"And yet you wonder why we never brought you along when we went to see _The Knight and the Sword_ when it came out." Rainbow said, remembering the event.

"Not after you kept on criticizin' _The Last Unicorn_ throughout the entire movie." said Applejack in a disproving tone.

"Unicorns do not have reflection-less eyes or lion tails! And our necks are _not_ that long!"

"We get it!" the entire group, minus Kuvira and Starlight, all exclaimed in unison.

"Still, even if it's not really a science back home, who's to say it can't be the case here."

"What do you mean?" Kuvira asked.

"Based on what Twilight found, and the dreams, maybe it's possible that, somehow, Camp Everfree's forest did absorb our magic. I don't know how, but after everything we just heard, I wouldn't put it past the possibility."

"Wait, if the magic was gone, then how can Spike still talk?" Kuvira asked.

"Well, last time Spike didn't come with me to Camp Everfree." Twilight explained.

"I had a sprained paw that day so I stayed him with Shinning Armor." Spike said.

"That's probably why he still has his magic. Which only further proves my theory. We all lost our pony up abilities after we came back from camp, and Spike was hit by magic once but he still has his. He was the only one of us who didn't go."

Starlight pondered, "So if the camp stole your magic, and if anybody else got their hands on it…"

"And didn't know how to control it…" Rarity added.

"Who knows what could happen." Twilight concluded. "For all we know, we could have another angry raging daemon monster pooping up."

"Twilight's right." Kuvira said, speaking from personal experience. "Equestrian magic is extremely powerful, and anyone who doesn't know how to control it, or understand it, can have unforeseen consequences."

"I can relate." Twilight said, surprising Kuvira a bit. The only other person who ever said anything like that was Korra. It was extremely rare to find somebody else say something similar.

"So, the dreams could be a message." Flash theorized, "A message that we need to go back to Camp Everfree."

"But what do we do once we get there?" Applejack asked.

"We find the magic and bring it back to Equestria." Sunset concluded, "We've all seen what magic can do to people who don't comprehend its use. The best thing we can do is find the source and return it back home. The alicorns will know what to do with it."

"You know what this mean!" Rainbow pounded her fists into the air, "The Wondercolts are back in business!"

"Wait a second." Twilight intervened, "The camp is very exclusive. You can't just walk right in without an invite. Oak Pines was very strict about it."

"Who's Oak Pines?" Kuvira asked.

"He used to be the camp director." Pinkie Pie explained. "Until Gloriosa Daisy took over."

"Who's Gloriosa?"

Rarity pulled out her smart phone and showed Kuvira pictures from their trip to the camp. She saw images of when the girls were a few years younger compared to how they were now. They appeared to be seventeen at the most, and in many of them they stood side by side with a girl the same age as them. A beautiful young lady with light green eyes, two toned moderate raspberry hair with a crown of daisies on her head, and pale amaranth skin, freckles across her cheeks and bushy eyebrows but they did not diminish her youthful beauty.

"Gloriosa Daisy." Rarity said, pointing her finger to the girl in the picture, "Oaks Pine's daughter. Oh, she was such a sweetheart. She mades friends with literally everyone from school."

"We practically a Wondercolt the moment we met." Applejack said, "A true genuine outdoors chick if I ever did see one."

"And she had her own secret aviary to feed the birds." Fluttershy said, beaming with glee at the memory.

"She nearly whopped me at rock climbing." Rainbow Dash said.

"And she was kind enough to convince her father to have an outdoor fashion show." Rarity said, giggling, "With the most fabulous camp looks modeled by our classmates, designed by yours truly."

Applejack groaned, "I still can't believe you got her and Oak Pines to agree to it."

"It was very clear from Gloriosa's own wardrobe that she appreciates a well put together look."

"Sounds like you guys were good friends." Starlight said.

"Totally!" Pinkie Pie agreed with glee, "And she made a mean sugar cookie!" she licked her lips, she could still taste the sugary treat.

Kuvira then noticed one boy who stood beside Gloriosa, Twilight and Flash Sentry. He had light tangelo skin, grayish green eyes and dark aquamarine hair mixed with forest green. He had strong handsome features with an athletic build. He playfully ruffled Twilight's hair while Flash ruffled his. The two looked almost like brothers based on their antics.

"Who's this?" she asked, pointing a finger at the boy.

"Oh, that's Timber Spruce. Gloriosa's brother." Rarity said, "Quite the handsome fellow, isn't he?"

"Oh, I remember Timber." Rainbow Dash said, "Always with the lame jokes that, for some reason, always got somebody laughing."

"Come on, he was a cool guy." Flash said.

"You guys did grow pretty close." Sunset said before taking a sip from her cup.

"Yeah. We were camp bros for life!"

"Plus, he made all of us these cool wooden wolf keychains." Twilight pulled out the said keychain, which was indeed the carving of a wolf, but it was carved to look like it was facing the right.

Flash pulled out his own, which was identical to Twilight's, only his wolf was facing left. "He costume made ours and Twilight's." he said. The two placed their respected wolves foreheads together, and the two created the shape of a heart.

The others girls swooned, "Awwwwwwwww!"

"He made those?" Kuvira asked, genuinely impressed by the craftsmanship of the two objects.

Flash nodded his head, "Yeah, Timber was always making these wild wooded carvings all around camp, but he always loved carving wolves. It's why I used to call him Timber "Wolf"."

To everyone's surprise, Starlight Glimmer started laughing out loud. She hugged her stomach and wiped away a single tear, only to slowly stop when she noticed everyone's expressions of either concern or confusion. She sighed, "Oh, if only you knew."

"Does Timber run the camp with Gloriosa?" Kuvira asked.

"Nah." Twilight shook her head, "As much as he loved the place, his biggest dream was to go to this fancy art school in Germany."

"We've been writing to him ever since but, one day he just…" Flash trailed off, scratching the back of his head, "He just stopped responding."

Kuvira's eyes slightly widened as memories of a similar event flashed before her eyes. The times where Korra would write to her, sometimes just to see how she was doing, and one day she just stopped. It wasn't long after she met the sirens and allowed their silver tongues to coax her into abandoning Korra's friendship for theirs. Granted, it wasn't the exact same thing, but the fact that a close friend of theirs suddenly stopped writing, it definitely hit home. And not in the good kind of way.

"But if Gloriosa runs the camp now, I'm sure she can let us in." Starlight said.

"I don't think we can." Fluttershy said, "The new senior class for Canterlot High is going there next week, and Gloriosa is so dedicated to the camp, I don't think she'll have time for us to investigate what's been happening."

Sunset Shimmer pondered for a moment and an idea came to her mind, "What if we came with the students?"

"Darling, we'd have to be students." Rarity pointed out.

"Not necessarily. What if we got jobs as chaperones? We can ask Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. I'm sure once we explain the whole thing they'll be more than happy to let us join them."

"That's a great idea!" Applejack cheered, "I get to spend some time with Apple Bloom before she graduates!"

"And I get to spend time with Sweetie Belle!" Rarity squealed with delight.

"And I bet Scootaloo will just love hearing about when my professor accidentally electrocuted himself with a taser gun!" Rainbow Dash laughed, slapping her knee. "That was hilarious!"

"That's perfect!" Twilight said, placing her two hands together, "This way we can investigate the camp while being inconspicuous."

"Plus, we get to visit Gloriosa!" Pinkie Pie said, throwing confetti everywhere.

"Then it's settled." Sunset declared, "I'll give Celestia a call and we'll have enough time to get ready."

Flash looked down at his watch, seeing what time it was. "Wow, I had no idea what time it was." he said.

Twilight looked at his watch and gasped, "Oh my gosh, we better hurry. The motel gets booked like crazy at this hour."

Rarity's eyes opened wide and spit out her drink, completely wetting Applejack's new shirt. "You guys are staying at a motel?!"

"It's got four stars." Twilight said, thinking that was what Rarity was referring to by how shocked she was. There was no way Rarity would allow her friend to stay at anything lower than a three star motel.

Unfortunately, that wasn't what she meant.

"So, you two are staying at a motel." Rarity said, her nose crinkling, "You and Flash. The two of you…alone…."

"In separate rooms, Rarity!" Twilight exclaimed with bitter annoyance while rolling her eyes.

Flash crossed his arms and rose a brow, "Seriously, what do you take us for?"

Rarity scoffed, "Well, forgive me if society of going in that direction and don't want my best friends to flow with the current."

Both Twilight and Flash rolled their eyes and got their bags, "Anyway, where will you three be staying?" Twilight asked the three other worldly natives.

Sunset and Starlight shared uncertain expressions and turned to their friends. "We haven't thought about it yet." Sunset confessed.

A spark flashed in Flash's blue eyes, "Hey, we've got some extra cash, why don't you guys book a room at the motel where we're staying?" he offered, "Sunset and Twilight can share a room and Starlight and room with Kuvira."

"You sure you won't mind?" Starlight asked, almost completely unaware of Kuvira's stun expression.

"Not at all." Twilight said, casually waving her in a rotating motion. "It'll be just like old times. Remember when we shared the same sapphire tent back in Camp Everfree? Or, I'm assuming it was sapphire, technically sapphires aren't just blue. They can be pink, purple yellow."

"Plus, sapphires are technically rubies without cranium." Flash finished. Only to be met by several blinking eyes of surprise. He blushed and scratched the back of his neck, "I read it online once."

Twilight giggled and ruffled his hair, "You're adorable." she said before turning to the others, "So, what do you say?"

"Beats sleeping in the local library." Sunset said, placing a hand on her hip as she stood up and she and Twilight shared a hug.

Kuvira bit her bottom lip, nervously fiddling with a loose strand of hair, while Spike looked up at her with concern.

(~)

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to settle into their rooms for the time being. Spike made himself comfortable in Twilight's bed and Flash was kind enough to help Twilight with her luggage, as he always did. Chivalry was something he was known for, even back in High School.

"Thanks, sweetie." Twilight said, giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

"No problem. You girls have fun." he gave Sunset a fist pump before leaving the two to catch up on old times. The two old friends just started giggling like gossiping school girls.

"He still hasn't changed." Sunset said.

"Neither have you." Twilight mentioned, "I mean, you're still the same spunky pony girl we knew back wen."

"And you're still the same book loving scientists. Who can make a wicked pop remix."

"I was always kind of a natural." Twilight said confidently with a flip of her hair.

"And your confidence is still growing." Sunset said, ruffling Twilight's hair, making the latter laugh. "Guess Flash has been really rubbing off of you." she said with a knowing grin, which only made Twilight blush. "Things have been going pretty well, hasn't it?"

Twilight smiled, her cheeks still red as she unzipped her bag to pull out her pajamas. "We're okay." she tried to say casually, but her face said otherwise.

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you and him haven't talk about…taking that next step?"

Twilight's face became reader, "What?" she scoffed, "What makes you think that?"

Sunset knew this world's Twilight oh too well, and she knew she was keeping something. "Oh, now look who's trying to hide something."

"No I'm not!" Twilight exclaimed, rather quickly, which caught Sunset off guard.

"Sorry, I was just-"

"No, not it's fine. I get it. It's just, these dreams are…well…." she turned away, slightly tugging on the sleeve of her shirt.

Sunset placed a supporting hand on her shoulder. "What are you scared about? You can tell me."

"I guess I'm still overwhelmed. The last time I had nightmares of Midnight Sparkle was not long after I transferred to Canterlot High after the Friendship Games."

Sunset remembered that time. Just like herself, Twilight was traumatized by the nightmares of her past mistakes. Of course, Sunset could understand why she would have trouble with this, but Twilight? Unlike herself, Twilight was never cruel and dishonest or too pridefully ambitious. And yet, she still turned into a wicked monster once she opened up that device and felt all of that magic. For those in this world, who did not have the genetics to handle Equestrian magic, the energy would reflect what they wanted most and warp it around. Magic in this world acted somewhat like a mood ring, just like when the Element of Magic turned Sunset into a monster because the magic reacted to her dark heart's desires, and thus turned her into something she was on the inside. The second time she used magic here in her human form, she turned into a creature of light, not darkness. Because she had gained light in her heart.

Twilight suffered gravely from that experience alone. "What if with the magic coming back, she does too?"

"That won't happen." Sunset stated, "There is no Midnight Sparkle. There's only you. Besides, you've already felt the magic inside of you and you embraced it for good. Remember?"

Twilight's mind drifted back to one school event. One that allowed her to embrace the magic inside herself.

…..

 _The audience was cheering loudly, chanting her name. This was the first time she ever thought about singing in public. It wasn't being on stage of the cheering folks that terrified her. It was that, ever time she practiced her song, she was so close to sprouting wings and ears. She felt the energy of the magic within her, and it frightened her to no end._

 _What if she came back? What if she allowed this feeling to take control, she'd harm those she held dear. She couldn't allow that to happen. Her fear took hold and she made a run for the door, only to be stopped by a hand gripping her own._

 _"Twilight, what are you doing? They're waiting for you."_

 _"I can't do it, Sunset! I just can't!"_

 _"Why? You've been preparing for this for months. You and Flash worked so hard on the lyrics and everything, you can't just call it quits."_

 _"But what if I sprout wings again? What if I transform in front of everybody? What if I hurt you guys?"_

 _"Twilight, you have to stop thinking about this as a bad thing."_

 _"Easy for you to say. Magic turned you into something beautiful. The last time I tried to use it, it turned me into a monster! I'm just so afraid it's gonna happen again."_

 _"Yes." Sunset said, placing a hand over her heart, "Last time, I turned into something amazing. But I've let magic turn me into a monster too. When I first got my firebending, I saw it was a sign of my dark sign resurfacing. But some good friends showed me that it's not the power that makes you evil, it's what you do with it. Once I realized my power was a gift and that I wasn't the same person I was before, I was able to control my powers."_

 _"Is there a point to this?"_

 _"My point is, yes, you allowed magic to turn you into something terrible, but that's not who you are now. If anybody understands what you're going through, it's me. I can help you, Twilight, and the rest of our friends can be there for you too. But not if you run away."_

 _Twilight sighed, bitting her bottom lip, only to see more of her friends surround her. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Flash Sentry, even Spike, all rallied beside her, showing their support._

 _"You don't have to be afraid." Flash said, "We're here for you."_

 _"And we'll be here no matter what." Rainbow Dash said with great confidence. "You never have to face this alone."_

 _Twilight felt touched by their kind words and encouragement. She took in a deep breath and walked up on stage. Her eyes briefly blinded by the stage lights. The audience watched in anticipation and Twilight adjusted the mic. Flash stood beside her, guitar in hand, nodding his head and smiling._

 _Her heart raced rapidly but she took in a deep breath, hesitantly singing her song as Flash strum on his instrument._

 _ **When I was young…**_

 _ **I played for fun…**_

 _She gulped_

 _ **Made up the words…**_

 _ **Nobody heard…**_

 _She shifted her eyes to her side, seeing her friends, all giving thumbs up. The more she sang, the more at ease she felt._

 _ **But now, I see…**_

 _ **All eyes on me…**_

 _ **And suddenly…**_

 _ **I'm in a dream**_

 _Flash slowly speeded up his strumming and Twilight's voice started to grow more stable and a smile formed across her face. Her body relaxed and her smile growing. Her music made all of her troubles fade away._

 _ **I've got a feeling now**_

 _ **Everything's right somehow**_

 _ **Here I am**_

 _ **Being who I want**_

 _ **Giving what I got**_

 _ **Never a doubt now**_

 _ **Here I go**_

 _ **Burning like a spark**_

 _ **Light up the dark again**_

 _The lights brightened, and the rest of the Rainooms watched with great pride before quietly sneaking behind the stage. Spike wagged his tail, his tongue sticking out at the side of his mouth and Flash could see his girlfriend's confidence growing, so he speeded up the music, making Twilight feel even more energize._

 _ **I'm stepping up**_

 _ **Right to the top**_

 _ **That's how I'm wired**_

 _ **I take it higher**_

 _ **I'm in control**_

 _ **I**_ _ **broke the mould**_

 _ **The girl you see**_

 _ **Is up to me**_

 _ **I'm lifting up the ground**_

 _ **Finding the perfect sound!**_

 _As she sang, Twilight was surprised to hear more instruments being played behind her. The Rainbooms each played on their respected instruments, but none had a microphone near them. No doubt they would only be providing the music, so Twilight could have her moment to shine._

 _She looked at her boyfriend, who simply shrugged and continued to play. However, the smile and sparkle in his eye indicated he was in cahoots with this plan the entire time. That was the sneakiest, and yet sweetest thing he had ever done for her. With the music playing, Twilight bursted out into a powerful ballad unlike anything she had ever sang before, wowing the crowd while also dancing like a pop star._

 _ **Here I am!**_

 _ **Being who I want**_

 _ **Giving what I got**_

 _ **Never a doubt now**_

 _ **Here I go**_

 _ **Burning like a spark**_

 _ **Light up the dark again**_

 _ **Again**_

 _ **Again**_

 _ **Again and again and again!**_

 _As Twilight continued to sing her heart out, the others noticed something amazing. Her back started to glow, as did the ends of her then high ponytail, and even on her head. However, she was just so emerged into the performance she thought the warm feeling of happiness was just the effects of the song._

 _ **There's a star that's right inside you**_

 _ **So come on and let it out**_

 _ **Find out what you're about and just shout**_

 _ **"Here I am!"**_

 _ **Being who I want**_

 _ **Giving what I got**_

 _ **Never a doubt now**_

 _ **Here I go**_

 _ **Burning like a spark**_

 _ **Light up the dark**_

 _ **Again!**_

 _Twilight's body levitated off the ground, sparkles spiraled around her and, for the first time ever, she ponied up! Wings, ears and tail formed, and she witnessed it. She couldn't believe it, she transformed just like her friends. She was magical once again, only she didn't feel fear or a hunger for magic, if anything, she felt peace. She felt joy. She felt happiness. Sunset Shimmer was right, she was not Midnight Sparkle anymore, and this magic wasn't what made her evil to begin with. Now that she knew what friendship truly was, she was finally free._

 _ **Here I am!**_

 _ **Being who I want**_

 _ **Giving what I got**_

 _ **Never a doubt now**_

 _ **Here I go**_

 _ **Burning like a spark**_

 _ **Light up the dark again**_

 _ **Here I am!**_

 _ **Being who I want**_

 _ **Giving what I got**_

 _ **Never a doubt now**_

 _ **Here I go**_

 _ **Burning like a spark**_

 _ **Light up the dark again**_

 _ **Again**_

 _ **Again**_

 _ **Again and again and again and again and again!**_

 _The entire student body cheered and jumped up with joy. Twilight lowered down, admiring her new wings. Her friends all embraced her in a group hug, and Flash surprised her by spinning her around in a tight embrace. The two shared a loving kiss, completely ignoring the fact they had an audience, and Spike jumped up, licking her face._

 _That was the first time she had ever felt the magic within her again. As well as the first time she was on the road to fully letting go of Midnight Sparkle. That night, the only thing she dreamed about were the music, her friends, and flying high in the sky, free as a bird._

…

Twilight smiled at the memory. She would never forget how powerful her voice was that day, it felt a bit soar for a while, but she had no regrets whatsoever. She was able to do it again with little effort after much practice, but that musical showcase would be the one event that truly skyrocketed her love of music and desire to peruse it as a career.

She and Sunset sat on the side of the bed, the latter wrapping her arm around her best friend. "If we encounter any weird magical stuff back at camp, you don't have to worry about being Midnight Sparkle again. You're proven you are a lot stronger than she is. The past doesn't defy you…"

"Because my past is not today." Twilight concluded. "I know. Thanks, Sunset." she said, embracing her friends into a hug.

"Anytime, Twilight."

(~)

While the two old friends were catching up, Starlight was having a difficult time trying to feel comfortable around Kuvira. The metalbender hardly said a word. She just sat on her bed, looking down at her hands, completely spaced out. Starlight knew well enough Kuvira was the "reformed but troubled" type. Much like herself, Pi'Li, the Earth Queen, Sunset Shimmer, even Zaheer, but at least they made an effort to try and form a connection with others to make up for their past mistakes. Not that they always succeeded on the first try, but at least they were willing to take the first step. Kuvira, on the other hand, didn't even think she could take the first step. All she did was be polite and apologetic, but overall, she was just an empty vessel. And for someone as impatient as Starlight, she was not having it.

"Okay, I know this is weird for you and all, but you don't have to feel like somebody's gonna jump at you at any moment." she said, but her roommate remained silent. "Look, Kuvira. I can understand what you're going through."

"I doubt it." she finally said, not even bothering to look up at her.

"Come on, we're not so different."

"How are we not different?"

"Well, we both did something we regret and hurt the people we now consider our friends."

"What are you talking about?" Kuvira asked, finally looking up at Starlight with confusion.

"Wait, you never knew about what I did?"

"No. Actually, this is _literally_ the first and only time we've ever talked."

Starlight blinked in realization. "Oh. I…I guess you're right."

"What did you do?"

Starlight sat down on the bed beside Kuvira, "It's kind of crazy, really. When I was little, I fell in love with my best friend Sunburst. We did everything together and we had so much in common. But, one day, he got his cutie mark before I did. He became more popular and his parents send him off to Canterlot to Celestia's School for gifted unicorns. I was left alone."

"He just forgot about you?"

"That's what I thought, but no. In reality, he wanted to include me in his new friends. He was always trying to reach out to me, but I let my jealousy and insecurity blind me. I faulted it all on his cutie mark, so I never made another friend because I was too scared if we became too different we'd grow apart." Starlight looked down in sadness at the memory. She then fiddled with her fingers, chuckling rather nervously. "Then, I may have gone completely crazy and started my own crazy cult, complete with brainwashed ponies, and used a spell to strip a pony of their cutie mark, which includes their specials talents and individuality so everybody would be "equal"." she said, using air quotes, "Or at least, _my_ version of equality."

Kuvira was rendered speechless beyond compare. For the first time, she felt as if she was staring directly a past version of herself. Starlight Glimmer too had felt the traumatizing sting of abandonment, and she allowed that to motivate her to create a civilization where nobody would ever feel the pain she felt. However, even if they did share a lot of similarities, they were not flawlessly identical.

"But then Team Avatar came along." Starlight continued, "They showed me the error of my ways and opened my eyes to the true Magic of Friendship….riiiiight after I may cast a time spell and nearly wiped out all living life just to get back at them." she bit her bottom lip. "Still not proud of it."

"Did you ever take someone's life?" Kuvira asked, her eyes darting to her hands, which slightly trembled.

"Well, not directly. I mean, I guess the time traveling could have been considered but-"

"But everyone still survived. And if we're talking time travel, then chances are it never happened once you set the timeline back into place, am I right?"

Starlight blinked in alarm, only to fully realize where she was going with this. She instinctively placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder. "Kuvira, I'm so sorry. I know you feel awful about what happened, but it wasn't entirely your fault."

"Oh it wasn't?" Kuvira's head spun rapidly to face Starlight, startling her so much she reeled back, removing her hand as Kuvira stood upwards, marching towards the window, her fists clenched to her sides, not making eye contact with the pony-turned human.

"So, it wasn't my fault that the sirens got their power back? It wasn't my fault they became so powerful they took control of the spirit vines and my machine to destroy a place of harmony and friendship? It wasn't my own pride that thrived me to enforce my Empire on others? It wasn't my fault that I placed those innocent people into prison camps? Not my fault I took Baatar away from his family? Or Bolin away from Asami? Or gave Korra that potion that made her forget everything about her friends and family?"

As she spoke, her voice grew higher and higher, cracking every once in a while, before finally facing Starlight. Her face red with anger, her eyes watery and her fists clenched so tightly they turned white and her nails dug into her skin.

"And to top it all off, I preached on and on about how I wanted to make the world better so I would feel like I had a place in the world? To feel I was accomplishing something great, and instead I tore families apart and I took away the only family Asami ever had left! _I made somebody and orphan! You can't just sit there and say none of it was my fault! The very idea that Korra even looks at me without any hint of anger or regret is still baffling for me that I literally want to torture myself for everything! For having such a wonderful friend, who believed in me and cared enough to spare me my life even after all I had done, and even invited to me her own wedding even when I deserved none of it! She's everything I strived to be! Adored, smart, fearless, but when I didn't get what I wanted the moment I wanted it I turned to those who ended up using me as a human battery charger!_ _ **Their power came from ME! Those lives lost, it was all because of ME!**_ _"_

The woman got on her knees, tears spilling from her eyes with no end in sight. She shielded her face from Starlight's view, no longer caring she was watching. Starlight could only feel heartbreak for the poor woman. What the unicorn did in the past was pretty bad, but compared to what Kuvira did…she really could have been worse.

None the less, Starlight got down beside her and, without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around the weeping woman. Kuvira breathed heavily, the tears clouding her vision. The waters dripped down Starlight's arms.

"W-why?" Kuvira muttered in between her sobs.

Starlight smiled compassionately. "I may not relate with _everything_ you've been through, but that doesn't mean I can't relate to you at all."

Kuvira let out a raspy gasp, those were the exact same words Korra said to her. The more she thought about it, Korra could relate with Kuvira in dealing with a past trauma. They spoke about it many times in the past, how Korra dealt with the dark version of herself for years, and that Kuvira will be able to confront her own. But it would seem Kuvira was still placing a wall around herself. It wasn't that Korra wasn't doing her job well, because she was…it was that Kuvira still had much to learn.

Meanwhile, Starlight was beginning to see why Korra told her and Sunset to take Kuvira with them on this journey. Seems the Princess of Friendship knew exactly what she was doing, and she understood Kuvira better than the meatlbender herself could ever comprehend.

"It's okay." she said, still hugging Kuvira. "Everything's going to be okay."

(~)

Flash Sentry was just about ready to retire to bed, until he noticed his wolf keychain fell from his jacket pocket and onto the floor. Once he picked it up, he smiled. The craftsmanship and detail were nothing short of amazing. Even though his talent was more on music than in sculpting and carving, he could always appreciate a fellow artists' work when he saw it.

…

 _The moon radiated its natural light down upon the forest floor, and a couple of young high school lovers were strolling along the woods, their fingers intertwined._

 _"I can't believe we're doing this." Twilight said with a smile, "You know we're going to get in trouble for staying up past curfew, right?"_

 _"Relax, we'll be back before anyone notices we're gone. Besides, the forest is beautiful at night." Flash stopped on his tracks, gently tracing his fingers against the skin of Twilight's face, making her blush as he adjusted stray traces of her hair. "But not as beautiful as the light in your eyes."_

 _Twilight giggled and playfully shoved him aside, "I bet you say that to all the campers." she said jokingly, only to have Flash wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder._

 _"Not true." he kissed her cheek and Twilight spun around to properly give him a kiss on the lips. It truly was a perfect moment. The two of them together, underneath a moonlit sky with stars shimmering like fireflies. Speaking of which, several fireflies flew around them, which only made the moment all the more magical. Once they ended the kiss, Twilight kept her arms wrapped around Flash's neck, admiring the way the moonlight reflected off of his gorgeous blue eyes._

 _Her smile faded and her eyes widened once she heard the sound of something in the bushes. A light shown overhead and the two screamed once they saw the silhouette of a wolf. Flash instinctively shielded Twilight, only for the two to realize the wolf wasn't moving at all._

 _"Wait a minute." Flash squinted his eyes to get a better look. "Is that wolf made out of…wood?"_

 _"Oops, sorry!" a voice came from behind a tree. It was a young man, around the same age as them eighteen at best, with light tangelo skin, grayish green eyes and dark aquamarine hair mixed with forest green._

 _"I didn't think anybody else was out here." he said, holding up a flashlight and a pocket knife in hand. Flash and Twilight eased themselves once they saw they were never in any real danger._

 _"That's a relief." Twilight said, placing her hand over her heart. "That thing looks so lifelike."_

 _"Thank you." The boy said, "I just added the finishing touches."_

 _"You made that?" Flash said, astonished as he approached the wooden carving, his fingers tracing against the smooth surface. "All by yourself?"_

 _"Yep. Pretty cool, right?"_

 _"It's amazing! It's so lifelike, I almost had a heart attack."_

 _"Sorry about that. And, sorry I ruined your date."_

 _"It's okay." Twilight said, trying to be polite, "We were bound to get discovered anyway."_

 _"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." the boy said with a wink and then offered his hand for her to shake._

 _"Thanks. It's Timber, right?"_

 _"Yep. Timber Spruce. And you're…um, sorry I forgot your names."_

 _"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is my boyfriend Flash Sentry."_

 _Timber slapped his forehead, "Oh, now I remember! You guys suggested that open mic night to my dad. Good choice, this place could use some new tunes. My sister and my dad are always playing the same oldies stuff. It's fine and all, but it gets boring really fast."_

 _"Well, lucky for you, Twilight and I are known as the best musicians in Canterlot High." Flash said, oozing with confidence and pride. "Some even call us the Dynamic Duo."_

 _Twilight gently shook her head, "Yeah, nobody calls us that."_

 _Timber laughed, "You guys are hilarious. I think we're going to get along just fine."_

 _And get along they did. For the next week, Flash, Twilight and Timber became close friends. Twilight and Timber bonded over a similar knowledge, though Twilight was able to beat him at trivia every single time. Flash and Timber would often have playful competitions with each other, with either one being the victor. One time, it was Flash who won, and the second time, it was Timber. He even showed them more of his work, which mostly consisted of clay sculptures, diagrams made out of arts and crafts materials, and of course, the wooden carvings he had around camp. Primarily wolves, which were his favorite animals._

 _Timber hosted arts and crafts, where he tried to teach Flash and Twilight as well as the other campers how to make wooden wolves. The young couple did their best, but their wolves were…not that great. None the less, Timber appreciated the effort._

 _"So, you really lived in this camp your whole life?" Flash asked as he and Twilight carved their wooden wolves. "That must have been so cool."_

 _"Yeah. Though it has its downside." Timber admitted, "Don't get me wrong, I love Camp Everfree and it means a lot to my family. But, when I was younger I sometimes wished we lived in a town like normal people."_

 _"Really?" Twilight asked, surprised by this answer._

 _Timber shrugged, "Eh, I was ten. I really wanted to hang out at the mall." he chuckled, which led to his two new friends to chuckle as well. "But, I won't be here for long. I'm working to get into this amazing art school in Germany. A chance to see the world outside of this forest."_

 _"Wow. Big dreams, huh?" Flash said, being able to relate to that._

 _"Yep. What about you guys? Where do you plan on going after you graduate?"_

 _"We both got accepted into this music performing arts school in California." Flash said, "Twilight's going to be a composer and music video editor and I'm planning on being a song writer and music teacher."_

 _"Nice!" Timber said, before lowering his shoulders, "Must be nice to have someone who shares your interests. My sister doesn't really understand what I do. She wants me to join her and inherit the camp."_

 _Twilight and Flash shared a glance and looked back at Timber with sympathy. It really must be hard to be misunderstood, even by one's own family. Timber chuckled when Flash made a howling sound with his wooden wolf, which really wasn't the best. Twilight followed suit, making Timber chuckle more._

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"The strength of the pack is the wolf." Twilight said._

 _"And the strength of the wolf is the pack." Flash finished._

 _Timber blinked until they placed their wolves alongside his. It was then, he understood what they meant. His sister might not completely understand him…but his new friends certainly did._

 _He playfully ruffled their hairs before wrapping them into a hug. The three laughed._

 _When the day to go back home arrived, Timber was saddened to say farewell to his friends. Flash was especially sad to say farewell. Timber had become somewhat of a brother in such a short time._

 _"Thanks for everything, Timber."_

 _"Anything, Flash. You and Twilight take care of each other, alright?"_

 _"We will." Flash promised, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend."_

 _"Oh, before you go…" Timber rummaged into his pocket and pulled out two extra wolf keychains for the two of them._

 _"These don't look like the rest you made for the other campers." Twilight noticed._

 _"I know. Put them together."_

 _The two complied and did just that. They were both pleasantly surprised to see that the wolves formed a heart when their foreheads touched._

 _"Call it a thank you present. I've never had friends who really get me."_

 _"Well, if you ever need anything, you know you can always give us a call." Flash said, "Or text, email, letter, whatever you want."_

 _Timber and Flash locked hands and shared a brotherly hug. "Take care of yourself, Flash."_

 _"You too, Timber Wolf."_

 _"See you around, Twilight."_

 _"See you around, Timber."_

 _The young couple waved farewell to their friend, with the promise that they would stay in touch no matter what._

… _.._

Sadly, they did not stay in touch for long. Once they heard Timber got accepted into the school of his dreams, he wrote to both him and Twilight for a while, but then suddenly stopped. Flash looked out the window, the memories of their summer at cam replayed in his mind like an continuous loop.

As he got ready to go to bed, he could have sworn he heard the sound of a wolf howling outside.

(~)

 **I'm sorry for the late update, I was busy with work and dealing with my sister's kids. Also, there is a storm heading towards miami, and even though I live in Fort Lauderdale, there's a good chance of strong rains so the electricity might go out at some point. Maybe, maybe not, but in case I don't update you know the reason.**

 **Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, and yes, I completely removed the "love triangle" or rather the one some probably thought would happen, and instead replaced it with a good old cam friendship and bromine between Flash and Timber and gave him more of an artistic passion so he can relate to Twilight and Flash.**

 **I'm also very surprised with how I did Kuvira, and yes she will be the main focus here. Remember, this takes place years after Sunset and her friends graduated high school, so it is plausible that Sci-Twi had more time to learn to cope with the Midnight Sparkle thing, but that will still come into play later, but in a way that will further Kuvia's development.**

 **Until next time, God bless *kiss kiss***


	6. Return to Camp Everfree

**Return to Camp Everfree**

As she packed her clothes into her bag, reedit to leave, she heard a faint whisper.

" _Vira…Vira…_ "

She gasped and spun around rapidly, instinctively taking a defensive stance, her heart pounding and her breathing intensifying.

" _I'm here…_ " the voice said, the faint whisper grew louder and louder, almost as if she were right behind her.

The woman felt a cold scaly hand on her shoulder and her green eyes met with a matching pair, and a face that resembled her own, one covered in green fish-like scales and a pair of webbed wings on her back. She smiled wickedly, baring her razor sharp fangs and she backed away in terror.

"No! Get away from me!"

" _You can't run from me, Vira. I'm still here. I'm always here!_ "

"NO! STOP!"

(~)

"Kuvira, wake up." the woman gasped, opening her eyes when Starlight Glimmer shook her shoulder.

"We _can't_ stop, silly! We're not there yet!" Pinkie Pie said.

The entire group were currently ridding on the bus to Camp Everfee. After Sunset gave a call to the two principals at CHS, they were more than happy to allow them to help chaperon their outing. They also mentioned about the magical happenings going on and with them around, no doubt they would be able to discover if anything was amiss. The logical thing would have been to cancel the trip, but the surest seniors were so looking forward to it, they couldn't' disappoint the children. Plus, due to camp regulations, this was their best way to ensure they could get into the cam. Gloriosa might have been an old friend, but she was very traditional regarding her family's camp. The sisters knew they would all be in good hands with the magical group of friends. Even if they didn't have their magic anymore, they knew more about it than any one of them.

While each of the campers wore a shirt with the Camp Everfree logo on them, Sunset, Starlight, Kuvira and the others worse normal camp clothes. Rarity packed sunglasses and a sun hat and Twilight styled her hair into a high ponytail, reminiscent of her high school years when she updated from the simple bun. Speaking of which, she noticed the frightened look on Kuvira's face.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, feeling a strange case of deja vu.

Kuvira chuckled nervously, "Heh. I'm fine." she replied. She really didn't want to talk about her having a nightmare about her siren form. It didn't happen as frequently as she thought, but the nightmares came and went in a rotating cycle. Korra knew about this, but the dreams just made her feel too ashamed to talk about them. At this moment, she was feeling a mixture of fear, anxiety, and regret.

Twilight and Sunset, who sat on the second row behind her and Flash Sentry, both shared the same look of concern. Sunset knew Kuvira had been through a lot, and the more she thought about Korra's choice of sending her here started to become more and more clear as time passed.

Before either she or Twilight could speak, Pinkie Pie interrupted, "We are gonna have so much fun! We're gonna roast marshmallows and eat marshmallows and sleep on marshmallow pillows just like we used to!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Yeah, we never did that."

"Maybe _you_ didn't." Pinkie smiled smugly as she cuddled a bag of soft marshmallows.

"Don't forget Pinkie, we're also here on business." Twilight reminded her, speaking in a slight whispering tone while covering the left side of her mouth with one hand so none of the other students heard her. "If we're going to bee investigating magical occurrences we can't let the other students know what we're up to. The only reason the principals didn't cancel the trip was because they all worked so hard to earn the money."

"And because this was our one way ticket to get a reservation at the camp." Sunset reminded her.

"Didn't you try emailing your friend?" Starlight asked, "I still think Gloriosa would have let you guys in if it were for a good cause."

"You don't know Gloriosa, darling." Rarity said while filling her nails, "She's as sweet as sugar, but when it comes to her camp, she means business. It's practically her whole life. Plus, we've already tried and the camp was reserved strictly for the CHS visit. We couldn't work around it."

"That's kind of odd." Kuvira voiced out loud.

"What do you mean?" Applejack asked.

"It is just a forest, so why the strict rules on who can come and who can't?"

"It's always been like that." Fluttershy explained, "Ever since it was founded by Gloriosa and Timber's great grandparents."

"What does her father do now?" Kuvira asked, only to be met with saddened looks. "What?"

Fluttershy bit her bottom lip before answering. "Gloriosa inherited the camp when…her father died of a heart attack two years ago."

Kuvira's eyes widened and she looked down sadly. "Oh…"

"Attention, students, we're almost there." Principal Celestia said. After several years, the two sisters still looked as beautiful as ever. Celestia now wore her hair in a high bun, with a few subtle laugh lines around her cheeks. Luna had hers in a low ponytail, having been cut halfway looking a lot less shorter than it did when the Rainbooms were in High School.

"But before we arrive, we just wanted to say how proud we are of you for raising enough money to go on this class field trip. And to welcome back some of our CHS alumni, who will be joining us on this trip."

The Rainbooms waved and smiled at the students. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were especially excited to be spending time with their amazing older sisters, or honorary sister in Scootaloo's case.

"When we were your age, we made some of our favorite memories in these woods, and we're sure you will, too." said Vice Principal Luna.

"Now who's excited for Camp Everfree?!"

The students cheered, waving their hands and even some of their belongings in the air in such hype enthusiasm. Several of the senior class included a boy named Tender Tapps, Gabriella, or Gaby for short, Petunia, Babs Seed, and foreign exchange student Saffron Masala.

Amongst the cheering, Luna turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, her face shrouded with concern. "I know I should trust you kids, but I'm still a little concerned."

"Don't be, Luna." Applejack said, referring to the woman to her actual name rather than a formality. "Whatever magic stuff is going on, we're handle it."

"Totally." Rainbow said in confidence, "We've faced way crazier stuff before. We've got this."

Luna smiled, a part of her feeling reassured. She didn't doubt their skills, but as Vice Principal, she couldn't help it.

While the students cheered, Kuvira managed to sneak in a smile. Something about being in a bus full of happy-go-lucky teenagers made her feel rather happy she was able to briefly forget about the tragic discovery of Gloriosa's father. Her mind went back to Asami Sato and having lost her own father.

All because of Kuvira.

(~)

After a while, the group finally arrived at camp. Twilight tapped on Flash's shoulder and the two beamed when they saw their old stomping grounds. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity were as giddy as school girls, which was how they felt at the moment. Being here was like traveling back in time. Their teenage adrenal returned and they exited the bus with the same amount of excitement as the students.

Kuvira was the last to exit, taking in the fresh nature air and standing in awe at the wonder and beauty of the land. As an earthbender she would always feel right at home around earth. But his place? This place was truly extraordinary. Birds flew overhead, little furry creatures scattered across the floor and climbed up the trees in little time, even the cabins were made entirely out of wood.

"Isn't Camp Everfree just beautiful?" Fluttershy said, shaking Kuvira from her thoughts.

"It really is. I've never seen anything like it."

"You've never been to a forest?"

"Well, I have." she cringed, "I guess I was too busy trying to enforce a new Earth Empire to really appreciate it." she said, looking down in dismay, only to had Fluttershy place a hand over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're in for a real treat here. I know we're technically supposed to be investigating, but I'm really looking forward to our first nature walk."

"I definitely wanna go on one of those." said Spike, wagging his tail.

Fluttershy placed her hands on her knees and slightly hunched over while also bending her knees a bit, "You wanna see all the adorable woodland creatures, too?"

"Yeah! Specifically squirrels. More specifically, so I can _chase_ 'em!" the little dog let out a happy bark and panted, his tail still wagon.

Applejack sighed in satisfaction as he adjusted her backpack strap over her shoulder and helping her younger sister. "You're gonna love it here, Apple Bloom. I remember how we use to go roughin' it. Making my own shelter, forage for food…"

Apple Bloom looked at her sister in confusion, "Uh, you know they provide us with food and tents, right sis?"

"Yup! Still gonna forage though."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. As much as she loved her sister, she could be such a traditionalist it sometimes made her want to groan out loud.

"A shame we had to come in a time of crisis." Rarity said, "This is such an ideal place for some much needed R&R. But, I suppose the life of a group of magically gifted individuals has to begin again at some point, I suppose."

"I'll say!" Pinkie Pie said, "I mean, in just one year alone we fought three evil sirens who tried to hypnotize everybody with their singing, one _ridiculously_ competitive rival school, and two demon friends!" her eyes widened once she realized what she just said…and seeing the looks on both Twilight and Sunset's faces.

"Uh, heh-heh, no offense."

"None taken." Twilight said with a smirk.

"We're used to it." Sunset playfully punched Twilight's arm. Just like Sunset, the older did used to annoy Twilight, reminding her of her guilt. But now a days, it just rolled off her shoulder like nothing. She was briefly remembered of her nightmares, but being around her friends made her feel at ease once more. She owed everything to them.

Kuvira watched as the two interacted. She was rather surprised to see them so comfortable with the fact they both turned into a pair of ragging power hungry monsters who tried to destroy everybody….kind of like herself.

"Well, butter my back and call me a lobster buffet!" a loud, overly enthusiastic voice came practically booming from across the camp. The rest of the Rainbooms, and Flash, recognized the owner almost instantly.

Kuvira was surprised to see the same woman from the pictures running towards the group with a wide smile on her face. Her hair was long and elegant with a crown of daises on her head, with the same flowers on her brown stripy shoes. She wore blue shorts with a yellow green breezy shirt and a single braid on the left side, which was styled over her shoulder. Around her neck were two beautiful colored geode stones tied with a rope. The stone itself shimmered in the sunlight.

"Gloriosa Daisy!" the Rainbooms ran up and embraced their old friend in a tight hug. The group laughed and spoke on top of each other, completely submerged in conversation that Kuvira could barely make it out. Once their excitement died down a bit, she was able to hear Gloriosa speak properly.

"I'm so happy you're here! It's been so long!"

"Too long." Twilight said, "You look great!"

"So do you! And Flash, old buddy! So, how's the relationship?"

"Over." Twilight said, completely unfazed, which caught Gloriosa buy surprise.

Flash simply shrugged, "Yeah, it just didn't work out." he said, which only made the woman feel even more confused.

The two shared a knowing smirk before exclaiming, "Got ya!" they laughed and Flash wrapped his arm around his girlfriend.

"We were just messing with you."

Gloriosa laughed along, "Oh, good one! Good for you two. Lasting relationships are hard to come by these days."

"So, how you been?" Rainbow Dash asked, "We haven't heard from you in a while."

"I've been busy. Running the camp and all." her eyes turned to the two new guests who arrived with them on the bus. "Oh, I don't believe we've met."

Sunset happily introduced their two friends to their old one. "Gloriosa, this is Starlight Glimmer and Kuvira."

"Nice to meet you." Starlight said, shaking Gloriosa's hand, followed by Kuvira.

However, when their hands touched, something unusual happened. Kuvira felt a sudden sting and, very briefly, she was what appeared to be a string of green energy spiraling above her skin. She immediately reeled back, her hand slightly burning, and even Gloriosa did the same thing.

"Wow, quite a grip you've got there." Gloriosa said in her cheery tone.

Kuvira looked at her then back down to her hand. The sudden stinging had disappeared, but her curiosity was sparkled. "Yeah. You too."

"Gloriosa!" a voice called out. This time a male's voice, which grew louder as he approached the group. His eyes looked stern and focused. "There you are. I already set up the mic, you can-"

"Timber?" Flash interrupted, blinking in surprise before smiling widely, "Timber Wolf, is that you?!"

The boy slightly tilted his head, his eyes briefly shifted to Gloriosa and then back to the blue haired musician. He blinked in realization.

"Flash Sentry!" Timber spread open his arms and welcomed the boy in a tight embrace.

"I can't believe it! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Germany."

"I came back a few months ago to help out my sister."

"Oh, are you on break?"

"Something like that." his eyes then turned to the midnight haired girl beside Flash. "Twilight Sparkle, aren't you a sight for soar eyes."

"It's great to see you again, Timber." Twilight and her old friend shared a hug, followed by him ruffling her hair just like he used to.

"What happened to you, man? You just left us hanging." Flash said, patting his old friend on the back.

"Sorry, I guess I was just wrapped up in my own thing for a while."

"You've got to tell us all about it."

Gloriosa quickly intervened by gently pushing her brother aside, "There will be plenty of time to catch up, but right now we need to greet the new campers. So if you guys could head on right to the courtyard, that would be rad! It's time to start the best week of camp ever!"

Timber waved farewell as he and his sister headed to the courtyard first.

"Well, they seem nice." Starlight commented, noticing Kuvira still looking at her hand. The burn was gone, but the tingling feeling remained. "Are you okay?"

Kuvira shook her head, snapping herself awake. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." she replied, though at the back of her mind she wasn't entirely sure.

(~)

The students, principals and chaperons all gathered at the courtyard just as Gloriosa had asked them to. Spike barked as he chased a squirrel, only to be caught by Kuvira who wrapped him in her arms.

"You can chase squirrels after we get settled, Spike." she said sweetly to the creature.

"Sure thing." Spike replied happily. He had already grown a fondness to the woman. Dogs were always the best judges of character.

Gloriosa stood over a wooden gazebo, decorated with several gemstones dangling around the edge, which lit up at night. With a mic in hand, and Timber by her side, she addressed to the children.

"Hi, everyone! Welcome to Camp Everfree! I'm Gloriosa Daisy, your camp director! Think of me as your friendly camp and nature guide. And this is my brother, Timber Spruce!"

Timber took the mic and slid it over his shoulder, demonstrating his easy-going and fun-loving nature, which Flash and Twilight remembered from their younger years.

"Think of me as that awesome guy... who should always be invited to fun things."

Gloriosa playfully rolled her eyes and took the mic back, "We aim to please, so before we hand out our tent assignments, we'd like to hear from all of you. As it is Everfree tradition, we encourage creativity and individuality so you're free to do whatever you like here."

"Uh, except hike near the rock quarry." Timber mentioned almost rapidly, "That's off-limits."

"Y-Yes, but otherwise, your options are wide open. So what activities will make this the very best week of your lives ever?"

Scootaloo excitedly rose up her hand, "Ooh! Rock climbing!"

"Done!"

"Archery!"

"Of course!"

"Tetherball!"

"Naturally!"

Before Scootaloo could say another word, Rainbow Dash gently lowered her hand, "Scoots, I know you're excited, but maybe give somebody else a chance to make a suggestion."

"Arts and crafts!" Tender Tapps suggested, only to be met with a surprised look from Apple Bloom. He immediately blushed, "My mom... needs new pot holders." he said, but Apple Bloom only smiled. Her cute smile only made him blush harder.

"I'll supply the looms!" Gloirosa said.

Saffron rose her hand, "Oh, perhaps we could make some Nankhatai? It's a shortbread biscuit my father and I always make at our restaurant. And to really spice things up, my classmates can decorate them however they please."

"Oh, that sounds that sounds fun and delicious!" Gloriosa pointed her mic to Petunia, a young girl with lovely blue hair tied in a low bow tie ponytail.

"Nature exploration?" she asked enthusiastically, she always loved searching for new things in nature. As an aspiring archeologist, she loved nothing more than to explore and discover.

'With walking sticks for everyone!"

Sweetie Belle rose up her hand, "Ooh! Me! Oh, uh…lantern lighting! Where we all make our own personalized lanterns and lift them up into the air to light up the night sky in honor of all the campers that came before us."

"A camp tradition!"

"We have literally never done that." Timber whispered to his sister, who simply shrugged him off.

"I'll be taking requests the rest of the time you're here, so if there's anything you'd like to do, anything you need, just ask."

"What about the camp gift?" Rarity said, sitting on one of the wooden tables, "That was _my_ favorite Camp Everfree tradition."

"The camp gift! Of course! Every year, campers work together to create something useful. A gift for future campers. Working toward this common goal is key to forming the strong bonds that will last well beyond your time here at camp! This gazebo right here was a gift from our very own CHS alumni."

"The gemstones were my idea." Rarity pointed out, which earned an eye roll from Applejack. Rarity would find any opportunity to point out her creative choices.

"Oh, oh, oh, and the totem pole and the sundial were also made by campers!"

"The sundial was _our_ year's gift!" Celetia said proudly.

Luna faked a cough, "Even though "some people" thought it was a little impractical, since the sundial can't be used at night."

Celestia pouted, doing a fake cough of her own. "Yes, well is "some people" had a better attitude about it, they wouldn't have been sent to the Moonstone tent."

Luna formed a half smile, "Luckily, "some people" were eventually forgiven for their rash behavior." the two sisters shared a smile, while Gloriosa chuckled at their sibling banter.

"You all seem like a really amazing group. So I'm certain you'll come up with something inspiring to leave behind." said Gloriosa, her smile growing wider as the students cheered.

"Speaking of leaving things behind, now's the time when we give out tent assignments so you can leave your heavy bags behind." Timber said, winking at the students, while Gloriosa gently shook her head. Her brother always was a bit of a goof.

"Uh, girls will be getting their assignments from Timber. Guys, you're with me." Timber gave each of the girls a large bag where they pulled out a card with the image of a familiar gemstone.

Petunia and Gabby were in the Emerald Tent. Scootaloo and Saffron in the Aquamarine, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had Amethyst and Babs Seed shared the Sapphire Tent with Silver Spoon.

Starlight's eyes darted back and forth and whispered to Sunset Shimmer, "So, when do we start searching for the magic?"

"When everyone gets settled we've come up with a strategy plan. Best to start looking when everyone else is asleep. We don't want the students freaking out."

"You guys will be staying at the cabins with the rest of the chaperons." Timber said, starling the two. Thankfully, he didn't hear what they said. "Each room had four beds, so you guys should be fine."

"Thanks, Timber." Sunset said.

Gloriosa blew into her whistle, starling the group, but Timber remained unfazed. The camp director took a quick look at her clipboard, her happy smile never once wavering. "Okay, everyone, go get settled in. We'll be meeting at the docks in fifteen minutes to go over some camp safety rules. Let me know if you need anything!"

The sound of a car horn caught everyone, including Gloriosa off guard. For once thing, why had a limo suddenly drove up in the middle of the woods. A man stepped out, wearing the most flamboyant suit and tie they had ever seen. He wore a blue jacket, the collar stitched with aquamarine sequins, and a light orange shirt with a spotted orange bow tie. His skin was a light grayish persian blue, grayish green eyes and a hair styled into an Elvis-like style, white with light mullberry streaks.

"I need somethin'." he said, speaking in a voice that was indeed reminiscent of the king of rock and roll himself.

Gloriosa's once happy and upbeat disposition had completely disappeared, her eyes narrowed and her lips puckered into a frustrated pout as she tossed her clipboard to the side. She forced herself to smile politely and took the man by the arm.

"Oh, Mr Gladmane. So nice to see you." she said as she led him back to his limo, shoving him to the still open door. Her body language and gestures were not even trying to be subtle in the message she was trying to send him.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked in a harsh whisper, "Camp is just getting started!"

Gladmane adjusted his suit, flashing a pearly white smile her way. "Why, I was just takin' in the scenery, Gloriosa Daisy. It's so... hmm... relaxin'." he said with a chuckle, which only made Gloriosa want to punch his flawlessly white teeth right out of his mouth.

"Well, you can look around when camp is over. Now, if you don't mind…"

The two stared into each other's eyes. Gladmane's gaze was slick and confident, while Gloriosa looked like she was about to tackle the man due to her deadly gaze. Gladmane, on the other hand, looked down at his watch, not feeling the least bit intimidated by the young lady's glare and simply shrugged.

"Very well, then. Since you asked so nicely." he taunted before going back into the car and drove away. Or rather, his driver drove the car away from the camp.

Gloriosa adjusted herself, dusted her shirt and removed as stray hair from her forehead. "Gladmane is, uh, an old alumni of the camp. He likes to check on his old stomping grounds every now and again." she smiled, reverting back to her previously optimistic self, "But enough about him. Find your tents and put away your things. We've got the best week of camp ever to begin!"

(~)

"You girls should be comfortable here." Gloriosa said as she led the girls to their rooms. Starlight, Sunset, Kuvira and Twilight shared the same room, and just as Timber said, it had four bed. Granted, they were bunk beds, but still.

Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were rooming together, while Rainbow Dash roomed in with Celestia and Luna. Flash, sadly, would be rooming by himself, but Spike was keeping him company. He didn't want to make the girls feel uncomfortable by being the only male there.

"Thanks, Gloriosa." Twilight said, only to be surprised by a tight hug.

"Don't mention it! I'm so happy to have you guys back here again. We're going to have the best time! Make yourselves comfortable and we'll meet at the docks." she said before closing the door, allowing the four girls to take out their belongings.

Sunset pulled out a flashlight and make a spookily sound while waving her fingers in a ghostly manner, flashing the light bellow her chin, making her face look scary with the shadow. Starlight giggled at her silliness before Sunset shut off the light and placed the object back into her bag.

"That was weird back there, right?" Sunset asked, changing the subject, "With that guy, Gladmane?"

"Yeah. What do you think he wanted?" Starlight asked.

Twilight was about to reply, until she noticed Kuvira staring out into space, her chin resting on her hand and her elbow on her knee. Twilight slightly tilted her head as curiosity took over.

"I just have this feeling that Gloriosa's hiding something." Sunset said, catching Twilight's attention.

"Why do you think that?"

"She hasn't even mentioned any of the weird happenings around camp you found online."

"Maybe she has no idea what's happening." Twilight said.

"We don't know that for sure." Starlight said.

"Come on you guys, I we shouldn't be pointing fingers until we know the whole story."

Starlight sighed, "You have a point. We should just focus on figuring out what your dreams mean and see if we can find any strange magic stuff happening around here. Were there any other clues in your dream?"

Twilight shook her head. "No. Just Midnight Sparkle and the camp. Although, I do kind of remember something else." she said, rubbing her chin, "Before I even have the dream, I think I once heard a whisper saying "darkness". Then I started hearing the word "within"."

"Darkness within?" Sunset repeated, "What does that even mean?"

Twilight gasped, "You don't think it's referring to the darkness in me, do you?"

"That's crazy." Sunset said, "You're not going to turn into Midnight Sparkle. Besides, she was destroyed long ago, why would she suddenly come back now after all this time?"

Twilight sighed, "You're right. It doesn't make any sense. Or, maybe Midnight Sparkle is supposed to represent something else. Dreams are symbolic manifestations of our subconscious."

"If that's true, then what could it mean?" Starlight asked.

The door opened and Rainbow Dash peeked her head in, "You guys comin' or what?"

"Be right there!" Sunset replied and Rainbow closed the door.

"I guess we'll have to figure it out as we go." Twilight said, scratching the back of her neck and rummaged through her bag, "I just wanna put on some sunscreen. Huh. I could have _sworn_ I packed it."

Kuvira noticed the object on the floor and pointed her finger. "Found it!" she said.

A hole of the wooden floor suddenly sprouted a vine, which grew and grew, taking the sunscreen from the floor and towards Twilight, who was startled at the sight of a live plant actually handling her her sunscreen.

Sunset and Starlight blinked, seeing Kuvira stand up, and several more vines started growing from underneath the floor's holes. A single plant on the window display also grew, its vines wrapping softly around the corner of the room.

Kuvira's hand was trembling while the other three watched in awe as the vines began taking books, lamps and even pillows from where they belonged, growing more and more around the room.

"Kuvira? Did you? How is this possible?" Sunset asked, completely baffled by the sight.

Kuvira quickly hid her hands, naively thinking that would solve the problem, but it didn't. The plants still moved, but they didn't appear to be trying to entrap the cabin, but rather it looked more like they were just integrating themselves on the walls, giving it a natural beauty. It emphasized it more with a few little flowers growing here and there.

The metalbender was shaking in her hiking books. "I can't believe this. It's…"

"Amazing!"

"Terrible!"

Suddenly, the vines retreated, reeling back and swiftly retreating back to the ground from which they came. Before long, there was not a trace of the plant life anywhere in the cabin.

"I didn't know earthbenders could do that!" Twilight said, amazed by the amazingly beautiful display of magic she just witnessed. She had never seen anything so wondrous in so long.

"We can't!" Kuvira exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock and horror. "I have no idea how this happened!" she then gasped as a possible idea came to her head, "Or, maybe it wasn't me." she whispered, "Maybe it's her!"

"Her who?" Sunset asked.

Kuvira was stunned. Starlight's theory about Twilight's dream being more symbolic than anything, so what if this supposed "darkness within" was referring to…herself?

What if the siren's magic had not completely left her when she changed back? What if she still had some of that magic within her? What if?…what if she couldn't escape it?

"N-Nothing. Never mind." she said, completely changing the subject, "Can we just not talk about it? And could you please not bring this whole plants coming to life thing up to the others?"

"Why not?" Twilight asked, "For all we know, it could be the cause of the magic that's surrounding the camp. We're off to a good start."

Kuvira quickly grabbed her bag and hunched it over her back, adjusting the strap. "No we're not!" she exclaimed, shocking the girls. She immediately reeled back, "I'm sorry. I'm just…." She closed her eyes shut and headed for the door. "Let's just go to the docks already. And can we please not mention this again?"

"Kuvira!" Starlight called out, only for the metalbender to comply ignore her and walk out. Starlight sighed sadly and turned to Sunset Shimmer, "How do you think she did that?"

"I don't know." said Sunset, "But whatever it is, we should keep an eye on her. The last time she used magic she turned into a siren monster."

Twilight's eyes widened when she heard this. "And…maybe she's afraid of it happening again?" she asked.

Starlight and Sunset simultaneously nodded their heads and Twilight felt all the more compelled to help the poor woman. As it turns out, maybe the two of them aren't so different after all. Now they had two things to deal with; the magic around camp and Kuvira's strange magical power. Or, maybe two things.

What if it wasn't Kuvira's fault? What if, somehow, Midnight Sparkle was indeed behind this. There was still no solid explanation as to why she was in Twilight's dreams, and she most certainly didn't feel her dark presence. Could it be possible that, somewhere along the line…

Midnight Sparkle became a separate entity all together? That was a pretty unlikely theory, but Twilight made sure not to get too worked up about for now. One thing was certain, so long as she had her friends by her side, she would be alright.

Maybe Kuvira needed the same treatment.

(~)

Flash Sentry walked out of the cabin, with Spike at his side, only to accidentally bump into Timber Spruce. The moment they collided, Flash could have sworn he heard what sounded like an angry growl coming from his old friend.

Flash quickly reeled back, looking at the boy in confusion. "Did you say something?"

Timber blinked, "I... didn't say anything. Just here to make sure everyone was headed over to the docks! Did you need something?"

Flash shook his head, "Nope."

"Because if there is anything you need you just let me know. My sister and I have got this!"

Flash blinked. Even when they were teenagers Timber was never this enthusiastic about camp before. Compared to his sister, he was always a bit more mellow and easy going, but right now, for a brief moment, it was as if Gloriosa had took over.

"Thanks, I'm good."

Spike took a whiff of Timber's shoes, his hair studiedly stood on end and he bared his sharp teeth, growling angrily at the camp counselor. Flash was very surprised by the dog's sudden aggressive behavior. He took Spike into his arms and kept him a few feet away from Timber.

"Spike! What's gotten into you, boy?"

"It's fine." Timber said, "I never was much of a dog person. Well, see you at the docks, buddy." he gave Flash a salute and walked away.

"Not a dog person?" Flash asked to himself, "Since when?"

(~)

"Come on, everybody!" Gloriosa called out, bypassing Sunset, Starlight and Twilight.

"As much as I love Gloriosa, people that chipper make me nervous sometimes." Sunset said, only for her to be hugged from behind by Pinkie Pie.

"This is gonna be so much fun!"

"I guess not all people."

(~)

 **This will be my last update until the storm passes. Thank you everyone and pray for everyone being effect ed my Hurricane Matthew.**

 **God bless, *kiss kiss***


	7. Forest of secrets

***(~)***

 _ **Psalm 102:2~**_

 _Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly._

 ***(~)***

 **Forest of secrets**

While the group were technically here to protect the students and investigate, that didn't mean they couldn't check out the scenery. Rarity was especially enchanted by the beauty of the land.

"Oh, it's still as beautiful as I remember." she said, gazing at the large lake before them, "It looks like a diamond shining in the sun!"

"It is lovely out here." Fluttershy said as the wind blew in her long pink locks and a small bird landed on her. "The fresh air, the cool breeze, the birds that land on your finger."

"I think that only happens to you." Rainbow Dash said.

Flash caught Timber working at the camp docks, while his sister was giving the campers the safety rules. He noticed Tender Taps struggling with his safety vest, preparing to fish with his friends, and Flash kindly assisted him. The teenager gave the twenty two-year-old a high five in gratitude before going back to his old friend. He walked pass Petunia, who was feeding a few ducks on the lake.

"Aren't they just the cutest?" she said, gushing over the little animals.

Flash smiled only to nearly trip over a hole on the docks. Thankfully, he managed to regain his balance before he could injure himself.

"Careful." Timber said, "We've been meaning to fix that."

"You should. This is a safety hazard."

"Don't worry, I've got this." Timber said, once again sounding a lot like his older sister.

Flash arched an eyebrow in suspicion, "I see your sister's been rubbing off on you." he said with a light chuckle, only to stopped instantly when he saw Timber's sudden angry glare. "Dude, I was just joking around."

Timber blinked twice before forcing himself to laugh, trying to seem genuine. "Ha, ha! Good one. Oh, still got that sense of humor."

Flash blinked in surprise. "Yeah…so, how have you been? Everything alright back in Germany?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Timber replied while simultaneously working on fixing the broken piece of the docks with his tools. "Why you ask?"

"Well, because last time we spoke you were gushing over how happy you were there and, well, you just…stopped writing."

"I was busy." his old friend replied, which really wasn't much of the answer Flash was looking for.

"So, how long are you staying?"

"What do you mean?" Timber asked, stopping his work for a brief moment.

"How long are you staying at Camp Everfree?"

"Forever."

Flash blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Is there a problem?" Timber turned to look up at Flash, his tone sounded almost offended by the question itself.

"No, I'm just…surprised. I mean, when we first met you kept saying your dream was to leave the camp and-" Flash Sentry flinched and took one step back when he saw Timber angrily toss the rope aside. His fist clenched tightly, indicating he was angry. Flash didn't know how to react, all he did was say the truth. Timber's dream was to leave the camp and go to school somewhere else. Did something happen?

Slowly, Timber's fists unclenched and he tucked his hands into his pockets, a habit he did often when they were younger. "Sorry." he said, looking down at his feet in shame. "I know I said those things but, while I was at that school, I realized I really missed home. So, I came back. I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to be disappointed."

Flash immediately felt sympathy for his friend. "Timber, I'm not disappointed, I'm just surprised. You seemed so happy from the emails you sent me and Twilight. Whatever happened you can tell us. We're your friends." he smiled and placed a supporting hand on Timber's shoulder.

Timber took a single step back, his hands still in his pockets. "I know. But, if it's all right with you, could we just not talk about it? I'm really happy here. Believe me, I have no regrets coming back."

"Oh, well…okay, sure thing, Timber Wolf."

"Thanks." Timber's eyes shifted to his side, his nostrils slightly flaring, indicating he was smelling something.

"Timber!" Gloriosa called, and her brother didn't think twice to respond to her and left Flash behind, without so much as a "see ya".

Flash couldn't put his finger on it, but there was definitely something off about Timber. Granted, it had been a while since they last saw one another, but he felt very uneasy when he suddenly became angry over a question, and he was certainly being very secretive about what happened in Germany. If anything happened.

Gloriosa approached alongside Celestia and Luna, looking over the broken piece of wood on the docks. "This is a safety hazard." Luna said, "I suggest we close down the dock for the remainder of the camp."

The other students all groaned in complain. They were all so looking froward to sailing and such. Gloriosa bit her bottom lip, "Oh, I'm sure it won't have to be for the remainder of camp." she said, trying to be as optimistic as she can, "Just needs to be patched up a bit. I've got this!"

Apple Bloom pondered for a moment and a brilliant idea struck her. "Or maybe _we_ do! If you ask me, this whole dock needs to go." she kicked one of the logs sustaining it, seeing how it came right down so easily. Further proving her point.

"Building a new one could be our camp gift. Sure, it would benefit us, but a nice new dock would benefit future campers, too."

"That's a great idea, Apple Bloom!" Applejack said, smiling proudly at her little sister, wrapping her arm around her.

"I agree too." Timber said, placing a proud hand on his sister's shoulder, "After all, what better way to enjoy your stay here than to build a dock for _future campers_. Right, sis?" he said, pulling her closer.

For a brief moment, uncertainty flashed in her eyes before smiling in agreement. "Absolutely!"

"I'm with AB." said Scootaloo, "Building a new dock is definitely it! What do you guys think?"

The students all cheered in agreement, making Gloriosa and Timber smile with joy. "Looks like it's settled, then." Gloriosa said, baring her white teeth in a wide smile.

Timber shared the same smile. "Yes. Looks like it." He said. His mannerisms practically screamed confidence and satisfaction.

(~)

A few moments later, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Gaby were already hard at work with their start on fixing the docs. Meanwhile, several other campers were painting lanterns for Sweetie Belle's idea. Applejack and Rainbow Dash helped the two. Applejack chuckled when she saw Rainbow Dash hammering a nail.

"Huh, nice hammer. Where did you get it?"

"Uh, duh. The toolbox?"

"Hah, that's cool." Applejack smiled pridefully as she pulled out a hand made hammer, made entirely out of stone with a wooden handle, wrapped together with tight bandages. "I made mine."

Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom all rolled their eyes and groaned, all the while Applejack simply showed off her homemade hammer.

Starlight noticed Gloriosa and Timber talking, a far distance away from the rest of the campers, and her curiosity sparked. She tapped Twilight's shoulder, getting her attention.

"Hey, Twilight."

"Yeah?"

"Are Gloriosa and Timber the only ones working here?"

Twilight looked at the two siblings, deep in conversation. She tilted her head slightly. "I guess so."

"I mean, I haven't seen anyone else, not even a chef in the cafeteria when I went to get a drink. You don't think it has anything to do with the strange things happening, do you?"

"I'm not sure. Let's just keep our eyes open for anything suspicious."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Meanwhile, Kuvira watched from afar, still unsure if she should be a part of the activities or not. The memory of what happened back at the cabin replayed in her mind. Visions of the plants growing all around, entrapping the walls with its green roots. She felt a strange energy sweep within her when the moment happened. An energy she had not felt in so long, nor would she want to feel it. Ever again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden breeze, followed by several leafs dancing around in spiraling movements, almost as if they were dancing. The leafs flew towards the forest, making the bushes and tree branches move gently around. Kuvira squinted her eyes when she saw something slowly emerge halfway through the bushes.

She walked closer, seeing the creature had brown fur all over its body. It appeared to be a canine, domestic looking with an exotic while aura to him. His eyes were green and bright, which carried such emotion and spirit. Kuvira approached, only for the creature to suddenly run off, its bushy tail wiping behind it.

Kuvira gasped once she felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around rapidly, griping the intruder's arm and pinning him to the ground. He cried out in pain, on his knees with his arm behind his back, being held by Kuvira's powerful grip.

"Ow! Hey!"

Kuvira quickly stepped back, releasing him, remorse over her actions. "Oh, Timber Spruce, I'm so sorry!"

Timber straightened his back and rubbed his arm. "Wow. That's some powerful grip you got there."

Kuvira blushed in humiliation. "I'm sorry. You startled me and-"

"It's fine, I understand. I shouldn't have startled you." his eyes shifted to the forest before them. "Did you see something?" he asked, rather suspiciously.

"I…I thought I did." Kuvira said, still gazing at the forest before her. Trying to see if she could find the creature but no such luck.

"Probably an optical illusion." Timber said, "The forest does have a way of tricking your eyes."

Kuvira blinked, "Yeah. I guess you're right." she said and walked away. "I think I need some water."

At a nearby table, Starlight Glimmer was helping some campers with the lanterns, only to spot Kuvira walking away in sadness. Starlight politely excused herself and approached the metalbender. "Hey, are you okay?"

Kuvira sighed before responding. "No. I'm beginning to think me coming here was a mistake."

"Why would you think that?"

"You and Sunset Shimmer seem to have things under control, and you have your friends. What can I do? Besides mess things up?"

Starlight gripped Kuvira's shoulders, "You didn't mess anything up. If this is about what happened at the cabin, it's okay."

"No, it's not!" Kuvira spatted, swatting Starlight's hands off of her, "Starlight, you remember what happened to me the last time I got involved with magic!" Starlight opened her mouth to say something, but Kuvira beat her to the punch, "And _don't_ say it wasn't my fault."

"Okay, I won't. But-"

"Starlight, the last time I got involved with magic I almost lost my humanity, my sanity _and_ my friend! If whatever is in this camp is giving some kind of new magic I don't want any part of it! For all I know it could turn me into a monster again!"

"That won't happen." Starlight reassured.

"How do you know?"

"Because, I know better than anyone how hard it is to try and move on from your past mistakes. But you have to know that Korra wouldn't have sent you here if it wasn't for a good reason. She sees good in you, she always has. You should trust her judgment." Starlight took Kuvira's hands, giving a reassuring squeeze. "And you're not alone. We're here for you."

Kuvira's eyes shimmered as if tears would fall. That was the first time anyone, aside from Korra, has ever genuinely offered her true friendship. The siren's friendship was a counterfeit, but Starlight's offer was indeed real. Despite her uncertainty, she managed to form a smile.

Fluttershy blew on her whistle, getting the student's attention. "All right, now. You've made a lot of progress, but it's going to be getting dark soon. We can pick this up tomorrow between our other camp activities."

"Everyone, get cleaned up, and we'll gather by the fire pit at eight to share s'mores and scary stories!" Gloriosa said with glee, only for Pinkie Pie to excitedly hug her marshmallow bags.

" _S'mores!"_

(~)

"…And that's when she looked down and realized she was wearing purple socks with a burgundy dress! AAAAHHHHHHH!"

Rarity screamed in terror, only to notice everyone else's blank reaction. Pinkie Pie happily ate her marshmallows onto various sticks placed together in a sugary, sticky marshmallow bouquet. The students and counselors shares the same monotone reactions.

Rarity cleared her throat, "Purple and burgundy, darlings! The same color family! AAAHHHHH!" she scrammed dramatically.

"It wasn't scary then, it isn't scary now." Rainbow Dash said, only to flinch when Silver Spoon suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"AAAAAHHHHH! Burgundy and purple!"

"See! She thinks it's scary." Rarity said smiling triumphant.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "Silver Spoon finds anything unfashionable scary. Watch." she whispered into her friend's ear, "Pleated stripes."

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Silver Spoon screamed, gripping Sweetie Belle tightly. The pink/purple haired only blinked in disinterest.

Kuvira, Starlight, Sunset and Twilight all shared the same awkward expression. "Uh… that was a terrifying story." Twilight said, trying to sound supportive.

"Oh, yeah." Starlight said before whispering to Sunset, "I'm terrified she'll try to tell it again."

Flash cleared his throat, "Ahem! Um, anyone else have a spooky story in mind?"

"I have one." Timber Spruce said, raising his hand, "But I'm warning you, you might as well hug a friend now. That's how scary it is!" he said, speaking in a spooky tone, his voce deepening for effect.

Spike hid behind Kuvira for protection while the other campers either followed his warning and hugged their nearest companion, or simply smiled in excitement at the edge of their logged seats, the flames of the camp fire illuminating their faces. The older generation, however, only listened calmly. They were quite familiar with this story, and judging by Timber's opening, no doubt it would scare the new campers just as it did them.

"It's time I told you about the legend of Gaea Everfree."

Kuvira, somehow, became fascinated with the name. Probably from these students it would be just a made up story, but seeing as Kuvira herself came from a world were winged humans and supernatural plants were an everyday possibility, this didn't strike her as 'just a story'. She listened attentively as Timber continued.

"Many years ago, my great-grandparents came to this forest. Seeing its beauty, they decided that it would be the perfect place for a camp. But once they started building, strange things started to happen."

"How strange?" Kuvira asked, almost absentmindedly. Her natural curiosity got the better of her.

"Things like plants moving on their own and lights swarming around the forest at night."

Kuvira's eyes widened, her memory reverting back to earlier when the plants seemed to have responded to her subconscious mind.

"One pitch black night, when the wind was howling, a tree branch crashed through the roof of their cabin! They screamed and ran outside, only to see the giant creature rising from the earth!"

The campers shivered in their seats, even the most excited students started to feel the spirit of fear creeping up on them.

"She had wild hair like the roots of a tree. Her mouth had jagged rock teeth and her eyes were pools of black tar. But her aura shimmered like diamonds. Anywhere she went, she left a trail of gem dust in her wake. Trembling, my great-grandparents asked who she was and what she wanted. In a deep and hollow voice, she told them that her name was Gaea Everfree – an ancient spirit who held domain over the forest, and that my great-grandparents were trespassing on her land. They begged her to let them stay and build their camp, to share this wonderful place with others. Gaea Everfree finally agreed but warned them that they would not be able to keep it forever. Someday, she will return and reclaim the forest as her own."

Now Kuvira was starting to feel fear. This creature, this Gaea Everfree, sounded very much like a magical creature. Something at the same level as the former evil changelings and even the sirens. Mysterious and horrifying in definition. She also remembered the articles Twilight mentioned about the camp, where strange things were happening recently, as well as the plants coming to life. She wondered….could it be possible?

:So if you see a trail of gem dust, you'll know that it is... Gaea Everfree!"

Timber's voice grew louder for effect, terrifying the campers, and even the counselors. But it wasn't just the story that terrified them, but also the pair of eyes that appeared in the bushes, glowing in the night.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

"Hey, guys! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!" Gloriosa said as she came out from the shadows, smiling as always, and the students could breath multiple sighs of relief, though some were still trembling.

"Then why did you come out of the bushes?" Saffron asked.

"I… took the scenic route, because the forest is beautiful at night. But no one else should do it without a guide, kay? All right, everybody, time to head to your tents."

The campers followed her orders and left the campfire circle, each pair of students heading to their respected tents. The counselors remained in order to put out the fire, but before doing so, Twilight took the opportunity to speak to their old friend.

"Hey, Gloriosa."

"Yes, Twilight?" she asked, chipper as ever.

"I just wanted to say I'm very impressed with how you've been running the camp. Your father would be very proud."

Gloriosa pressed her hands over her heart. "Awww, thanks Twi. That means a lot."

"However, I have been meaning to ask, what happened to all the other employees?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just, last time we came here there were a lot more camp counselors helping out around here, and now it's just…you and Timber."

Twilight and Gloriosa flinched when Timber suddenly dropped one of the logs, startling the two. Flash noticed his fists clenching once again before being placed back into his pockets. He spun around, smiling.

"We've been a little low on helpers this month, with it being summer and all. But we've got a line of applicants so I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Twilight blinked in curiosity. "Well, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I mean, I'm not saying you aren't doing a good job, it's just I was concerned is all." she adjusted her glasses, indicating her uncertainty.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I've got this!"

"You sure do." Twilight replied, forcing a smile.

The group immediately froze once they heard the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. It was clear as crystal and it echoed amongst the trees. All eyes fell on the purple/green dog, who darted his eyes back and forth.

Spike simply shrugged, indicating he was not the culprit. The sound was heard once more, only it didn't sound like just an ordinary howl one would hear in nature shows, but it sounded almost as if it were singing. It was calm, and comforting and filled with so much beauty it was almost as if they were listening to the bewitching howling of a ghost mixed with a siren's melody.

"Timber! I thought I told you to take care of those stray dogs!" Gloriosa spatted, her sunny exterior having slipped away like a snake's skin, replaced with a fierce tensity in her voice and glance.

Timber simply nodded and ran into the forest to seek the dogs. He didn't even ask or think twice, he simply obeyed. Flash and Twilight found that especially surprising. When they were teenagers, while Timber did do as his father said whenever he was asked, whenever Gloriosa did he would respond with a snarky comeback and do it anyway. This time, it just didn't feel like their typical brother/sister dynamic they have come to know them for.

Once he was gone, Gloriosa placed a hair behind her ear, chuckling, "Sorry. Some of the stray dogs from town tend to wander into camp during this time of year. The breeze helps keeps them cool during the hot summer days. They love it here, but it does tend to cause a few unnecessary misconceptions."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

Gloriosa waved her hand casually in a rotating manner, "Oh, just some folks claiming wolves wander around these woods, things like that."

Kuvira asked as the images of the creature from before flashed in her eyes. That creature she saw, it was indeed canine, but it certainly didn't look like any domestic dog she had ever seen. Not by a long shot.

"Well, you guys mind putting out that fire? I've got to go and help out Timber with the dogs." Gloriosa waved farewell, smiling brightly.

Once she was out of sight, the group took this time to talk about their mission. "That didn't sound like an ordinary dog." Fluttershy said, "I don't think I've ever heard a howl like that before."

"So those stories weren't just made up." Sunset said.

"It's not just the howling." Flash said, "Timber's been acting strange ever since we got here."

"No offense Flash, but I think we've got bigger things to worry about than your old camp buddy." said Applejack.

"I'm telling you, he's not acting like himself. He's wanted nothing but to leave the camp and see the world and now he's saying he wants to stay here forever?"

"Plus, he and Gloriosa don't banter like they used to." Twilight said, rubbing her chin in thought, "Not to mention it's also strange that they're both the only people working here. Without any other employees how does the camp stay in business?"

"Let's not forget Gladmane. Gloriosa seemed pretty hostile when he showed up. Why would he be interested in a camp anyway?"

Starlight began counting the theories with her fingers once by one. "Okay, so we have the weird dreams, the nearly deserted camp, the mysterious howling, your old friends acting weird and Ku-" she stopped herself once she saw the earthbender's horrified expression. "Kuuuuuuuuuuvira, you have anything to add?"

"Um…I…I did see something earlier." she said, "I saw a creature in the bushes today. I didn't get a proper look at it, but it was brown with green eyes. I think…I think it was a wolf."

"Or a dog?" Pinkie Pie asked asked.

"Even if it was, it certainly didn't look like any dog I have ever seen. At least, not domestically anyway."

"Let's not forget about Gaea Everfee." Rainbow Dash.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. That's just an old Camp Everfree tradition. We all heard the story before, and Timber always did get a kick out of scarrin' us."

"I don't know. Think about it, last time we came here we lost all of our magic, and now that we're back we hear this weird ghost howling, a mysterious wolf and now the camp has only two people running it. For all we know, Gaea Everfree could be some creature that got booted from Equestria and ended up in this world. That's what happened with the sirens."

"You think maybe the lack of employers could be linked to the strange occurrences?" Fluttershy asked.

"And the strange occurrences could be linked to the magic?" Pinkie Pies asked, "And the magic could be linked to Twilight's dreams since Twilight's dreams are what led us here in the first place and the magic could be linked to Gaea Everfree?"

Eyes blinked in surprise at how Pinkie Pie managed to put all of that together so quickly. There were no limits to how this girl's mind works.

Sunset spoke, "So far, all we've managed to find are theories. I say we pay close attention in case we find anything else out of the ordinary. If what Rainbow Dash said is true and there is a Gaea Everfree out there, all the more reason we should stay on guard."

"Sounds like a plan." Applejack said, "Last thing we need is have these kids' camp experience ruined by some power-crazed magical creature."

Upon hearing this, Kuvira felt herself shrink.

"Oh, hear-hear." Rarity nodded, " We've had to deal with more than our fair share of those. At the Fall Formal, a musical showcase, the Friendship Games, not to mention our comrades in Republic City had to deal with the exact sa—" Rarity stopped herself once she noticed Kuvira looking down in shame. Rarity quickly changed the subject.

"Well, I mean, you know, everything turned out all right, of course." she said, giving a nervous chuckle.

"Mmm. I'm kinda tired." Kuvira said as she turned away and walked in the direction of the camp. "I'm gonna turn in."

Starlight and the Rainbooms watched the poor girl disappear into the night. The two Equestrian ponies angrily glared at Rarity for her slip up. She always did have a habit of speaking before thinking at times.

"Not cool, Rarity." Starlight said through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry! I forgot for a moment."

"Maybe lay off bringing up what happened with the sirens around Kuvira." Twilight said, "I think she's still pretty sensitive about it."

Pinkie PIe rubbed a semi melted marshmallow over her out before saying, "Our lips are sealed." with her mouth still full.

Sunset sighed as she waved her hand, using her firebending to distinguish the fire. Darkness surrounded the forest and a pair of green eyes watched from afar.

(~)

Later that night, Twilight heard the sound of a rock hitting the window. Spike gently nuzzled her face as she sluggishly stood up. Placing on her glasses, Twilight opened the window to see Flash Sentry, up and about and fully dressed.

"Flash? What are you doing? It's the middle of the night!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"Come outside." he said, also in a whisper.

"Why?"

Her question was answered when she saw a tiny firefly land on her nose. Several more appeared above Flash and he pointed towards the trees. "There's plenty more where that came from. If you're up for a moonlit walk with me." he winked flirtatiously.

Twilight smirked, "You're crazy."

"Why? We're not students anymore, what's the worst they could do? Give us detention?"

Twilight giggled. That was true, they didn't necessarily have to sneak off like they did last time and worry about getting into trouble. But, sneaking out was all part of the fun.

"I'll be there in a bit." Twilight closed the window and changed into her hiking cloths as quickly as she could before stepping out through the same window, only to look her footing and for Flash to catch her in his arms.

"I know I'm charming, but you don't have to _fall_ for me."

Twilight playfully shoved him and ran out towards the forest, giggling about. Flash followed suit, the two lovers playfully chasing one another like children.

It felt as if nothing had changed. They were still the playful, wild and free youthful spirits they had always been. Their laughter grew louder and more joyously as they traveled across the forest, the fireflies and the full moon being their primary source of light. They running came to a slow stop, but their laughter still echoed amongst the trees. Flash and Twilight intertwined their fingers, walking side by side in perfect sync.

"This is perfect." Twilight said, "You, me, the forest. Feels just like before."

"I know." Flash smiled, placing a gentle kiss on Twilight's knuckles. "The best years of my life."

"Oh, please. You're just saying that."

"No, I mean it. Until you came to Canterlot High there wasn't anyone I could really relate to. I mean, sure I had my bandmates and all, but even before Sunset became our friend and she was basically this dictator, everybody stuck with their own clique. Since I was a musician, those were the folks I thought only wanted me around. Even after Twilight-well, the pony Twilight-changed Sunset back from that demon monster and she became good, I still felt a little out of place sometimes. It's funny, how you can be surrounded by so many faces and still feel like you're all alone."

"Believe me, I know that better than anyone. That was my entire first year at Crystal Prep in a nutshell. My whole life revolved around learning and knowing as much as I could. But, whenever I played or listened to music, it felt like the whole world just melted away and I could see a side of myself I didn't even know excised."

"That's the magic of music." Flash said as he removed a branch in their way, "It's basically an open door, just waiting for you to walk right through." the two stopped and gazed into each other's eyes. "Then you came and…I finally found a voice who understood."

"I could say the same thing about you." Twilight said, holding his hand close to her heart. "Canterlot High may have once been a magical place, but being with you...it's like it never left."

Their faces flushed with light red as Flash gently caressed her face, traces of her hair intertwining with his fingers.

"I love you, Twilight Sparkle."

"I love you too, Flash Sentry."

The two leaned in close, sharing a passionate kiss. Flash wrapped his arms around Twilight's waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Fireflies danced around them, their bodies emitting a bright aura that neither of them were aware of. Once their lips parted, the aura disappeared. They remained wrapped in their embrace only to hear the sound of something in the bushes. Twilight gasped and Flash held her close. They saw the bushes rustle. They were not alone.

Flash picked up two sticks and handed one to Twilight. The two wielded their wooden weapons, ready to defend themselves. The mysterious intruder made his presence known, only to reveal a brown creature with a wet black nose and beautiful green eyes.

Flash and Twilight blinked in surprise. The creature didn't appear as if he were about to attack. Twilight had seen enough nature shows to know the proper stance for a wild animal ready to pounce. His body wasn't hunched over, his teeth weren't bare, he wasn't even growling. He simply stood there, gazing up at the two, his long bushy tail moving swiftly across the forest floor.

Twilight slowly lowered her stick and took one step closer. "Careful, Twilight." Flash said, keeping a sharp eye on the creature.

"I don't believe it." Twilight said, the moon shinning down upon them, illuminating the creature's furry tips as he stepped closer. Flash came to the conclusion that it meant no harm.

"It's a…a wolf." Flash said, nearly breathless, "A real, actual wolf."

Twilight crunched down to the creature's level, "Just like Kuvira said." slowly, she reached out her hand. It hovered over the creature's head, and he remained perfectly at ease.

Twilight reeled back once the creature suddenly started to growl and ran off without warning. Twilight stood up and Flash stood protectively by her side, only for them to see Timber Spruce appear from the shadows, wielding an ax.

"Get out of here, mutt!" he shouted angrily, wielding the weapon like a mad man, only to stop once he saw Flash and Twilight. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you guys."

"Then why were you holding an axe?!" Twilight exclaimed, her heart pounding rapidly at the sight of the thing. "One wrong move and you'd have chopped our heads off!"

"Wait, what are you doing out here?" Flash asked.

"With an axe?!"

"I…" Timber's eyes darted back to a wagon with which carried chopped blocks of wood. "I was chopping down firewood."

"In the middle of the night?" Twilight asked, rather surprised Timber would be out this late.

"We needed more for tomorrow night's campfire." Timber replied, placing his axe back into the wagon with the rest of the wood. "Actually, you're one to talk. What are you two doing out this late?"

"We were on a romantic moonlit walk." Flash replied.

Twilight crossed her arms, pouting bitterly, "Or at least we were."

"Well, you shouldn't be." Timber said, sounding surprisingly authoritative. "Gloriosa doesn't like anyone besides me and her out on the woods this late."

"Why? We're not teenagers anymore, we can-"

" _Because it's my camp and that's how it is!_ " Timber exclaimed, clenching his fists once again as he gained up on Twilight, his nostrils flaring.

However, rather than feel intimidated, Twilight stood her ground. "Hey, this may be your camp but you better watch that attitude of yours or I'll-Hmp!" before she could continue, Flash quickly covered her mouth before she unintentionally started something she wouldn't be able to finish.

"Actually, it is pretty late, and Timber's right." Flash said to the fellow young man, "This is your camp so we should respect your rules." he gently led Twilight away from the scene. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get back to camp and let Timber work."

Flash gave Timber a high five and the two disappeared from his sight. Once they were far enough, Flash's smile faded. "I told you. He's not himself."

"You're right. That's not the Timber I remember."

"No…he's not."

As they headed back to camp, Timber narrowed his eyes, looking around, keeping his axe in hand. As he walked deeper into the woods he came across one of his old wolf carvings and, without even a hint of remorse, he swung his axe and watched in satisfaction as the wolf's head rolled onto the ground.

(~)

 **I can get pretty dark sometimes. Well, my first update since Hurricane Matthew. Thanks again for all of your prayers and best wishes, it really means a lot. Thankfully, the storm didn't do any damage in our end. Though, unfortunately, I can't say the same for Haiti.**

 **Please, just as you guys prayed for me and my family in Florida, pray for these people who have already lost so much in such a short amount of time. They need it way more than I do.**

 **Thank you again, and let's hope and pray for these people and if there is any way we can help, let's do it.**

 **God bless, *kiss kiss***


	8. The Gift of the Magic

**The Gift of the Magic**

 _"Kuvira! Give up! It has to end now!"_

 _Kuvira did not respond, she didn't say a word but simply followed the three sirens. Korra took off in pursuit, ducking under a large, arch-like root and pushing through a clump of bushes, she came upon a clearing and, looking up, gasped in horror._

 _Suspended in a cradle of vines was the discarded arm of the mecha suit. Kuvira held to the side of the firing mechanism, holding the manual trigger handle in her left hand._

 _"Now it's over!"_

 _Korra extended her hand, desperately shouting, "Don't!"_

 _But it was too late, Kuvira slide the trigger home and the devastating purple beam build within the barrel. Korra abandoned her attempt at reasoning and dove away as the barrel discharged, its beam colliding with the ground. As the weapon continued to fire bellow, the vines around it glowed with the same purple light, causing Kuvira stop their singing and look at what was happening around her. The beams fired upwards through the trees, slicing through the buildings and detonating them._

 _"Shut it down! Now!" Korra called out_

 _"I can't!"_

 _A sudden shudder of the cannon threw Kuvira from its side, and she yelled as she tumbled to the ground. Raising her head, her expression morphed into horror as she saw the barrel of her creation swinging around to aim at her. As it beard down on her, Korra jumped in from the left, throwing herself between the beam and Kuvira._

 _Unlike the last time, Korra did not make it out alive._

… _.._

Kuvira gasped as she woke up, beams do sweat dripping down her brows and across her neck. Her raven hair was a tangled mess, sticking from her perspiration. Thankfully, nobody else had awoken by her shock. She was thankful she didn't scream after her nightmare. However, even if her nightmare didn't cause her to scream, what happened next certainly did.

Twilight tossed and turned in her sleep, her brows furrowed, her lips quivering as if trying to sound out the words, her fists clenching as if preparing to throw a punch. A sparkling magenta aura surrounded her body, as well as her bed. And the night stand. And the lamp…and Spike's pillow bed.

Kuvira let out a terrified shriek, which awoke Twilight, bolting upright, screaming along, her eyes wide open and her long hair a mess.

Sunset and Starlight immediately jumped out of their respected beds. Starlight's eyes were wide open, taking on an airbender fighting stance, ready to attack. Sunset's eyes were still closed as she too got into a firebending position, droop dripped on the side of her mouth.

"W-What happened?" Sunset muttered, still half asleep and half on alert.

"Kuvira!" Twilight exclaimed to the earthbender, "What was that about?!"

The green eyed woman was frozen in place, pointing a shaking finger towards her roommate. "Uh….Twilight…."

Twilight gave a puzzled look before looking down at her bed…which was levitating several feet in the air, along with her stuff and Spike.

Sunset rubbed her eyes, finally able to see clearly, and her jaw dropped. Starlight blinked in surprise. "Has that ever happened?"

"What is going on?!" Twilight exclaimed, horrified beyond belief until her bed and belongings finally stopped levitating and fell to the floor.

Spike let out a grunt once his bed fell, having been asleep throughout the entire thing. He yawned, his eyes partly open. "Is it time to get up already?" he whined before talking in a circle and laid back on his bed, trying to sleep again.

Twilight bounced out of bed, her hands trembling. "What just happened? How did I do that? Did I just…" Twilight's eyes widened in realization, and slowly she started to calm down. "I just levitated my bed." she said, the gears in her brain ticketing away. "I…I just did magic. I haven't done magic in years!" she spun around, facing the others, "I mean, we've all ponied up before, gotten the wings and tails and stuff, but nothing like this!" a smile began to form across her face, "I was right, the magic is still here! In the camp!"

"How do you know it's the same magic?" Kuvira asked.

"I know it is. I haven't felt this spark since I sang at the musical showcase and ponied up for the first time!"

"I can't believe it!" Sunset felt as if they had found a lost treasure. A treasure they had lost many years ago. "You were right. The magic from Canterlot High is back!" Sunset and Twilight celebrated with a tight hug, bouncing and squealing happily.

"I hate to break up this little celebration, but now that we're one hundred percent sure this is the magic from your past, then how the heck did it stay here?" Starlight asked, getting to the meat of things.

Sunset and Twilight stopped their little celebration, realizing their friend made a good point. "She's right." Sunset said, "Not to mention, this is the second time one of us had something magical happen since we got here. First Kuvira, and now you."

Hearing this, Kuvira reeled back, rubbing her arm shamefully. The three girls gave her sympathetic looks. Starlight placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kuvira, we really have to talk about this."

"No! We don't!" Kuvira turned away, hugging herself, unwilling to look at any of them.

They didn't want to push her, but if there really was something causing the magic to act up again, especially for someone who, technically speaking, already have magic. Her bending. While not Equestrian in origin, it was still her world's form of magic in a sense.

The girls knew that they had to look more into this. One was certain, this was indeed the magic that had brought the Sunset and the Five Human versions of the ponies together in the first place, and it with it, it gave Twilight a new power. Maybe, the same was happening to Kuvira. She may not have her roots originally from Equestria, but she had been exposed to it along with every bender and non bender ever since the Great Convergence. Could it be possible the magic was effecting her bending as well.

And if it was, would Kuvira be able to control herself this time, or will the power be just as seductive as it was before?

(~)

The sun shined brightly overhead, and Petunia, Gaby and Tender Taps were hoisting the sail of their boat, ready to sail across the lake. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough wind for them to do just that.

Kuvira sat near the lake, her feet submerged in water, while Starlight, Sunset and Twilight observed from afar.

"I feel really bad for Kuvira." Sunset said, looking over at the depressed woman.

"I don't what else to do." Starlight said, "I thought she was getting better after our talks, but now she seems more distant than ever."

Twilight placed her hand over her heart, her eyes locked on the depressed girl, gazing at her reflection in the cool waters. "I'm going to go talk with her." Twilight said, making her way towards Kuvira.

She sat down beside her, her green eyes not looking her way. Twilight gently kicked the water with her foot, creating ripples in the surface. "Hey." she said with a kind smile, but gained no response from the woman. "I know you don't want to, but I really think we need to figure out what's going on with your magic. If you could learn to control it—

"But that's just it!" Kuvira snapped, finally looking at Twilight, "I'll never be able to control it!"

The moment the words left her mouth, they heard the sound of terrified screams and saw the boat speeding directly towards them. Thinking fast, Twilight pulled on Kuvira's arm, dragging her away from the sight right before the boat crashed into the dock, destroying their early progress os restoring it. The ship was in shambles, Gaby and Tender Taps managed to surface, spitting water out from their mouths.

Sunset, Starlight and Rainbow Dash rushed to investigate. "What happened?" Rainbow asked.

"Wait! Where's Petunia?!" Gaby exclaimed, her eyes wide with terror.

"I didn't see her surface!" Tender Taps said. "Petunia!"

Kuvira saw the bubbling waters beside her, followed by the shadow of a figure sinking deeper and deeper bellow the surface. She didn't think twice, her instincts took over and she dove right into the lake. The others watched, while Rainbow and Sunset assisted the two campers back to what was left of the docks.

"Kuvira!" Twilight called out, cupping her hands near both side of her mouth, "Kuvira!"

No response. The bubbles ceased and there appeared to be no sign of anyone swimming back up. Tender Taps was just sabot ready to dive in after them, only for Kuvira to surface. Her raven hair fell damply behind her back, assisting Petunia from the water. Her arms were wrapped around Kuvira's neck, chocking and spiting the water out of her lungs. With one arm, Kuvira swam towards shore, with the counselors assisting them back.

Gaby and Tender Taps rushed to Petunia's side. "What happened?" Gaby asked, "Why didn't you swim up?"

"Ow! I hurt my ankle when we crashed." Petunia said, rubbing her injury. "I couldn't swim."

Kuvira panted, placing her hands on her knees, water dripped from her nose and hair, her cloths soaked to the bone. She had to dive in pretty deep to save the child.

"Are you okay?" Starlight asked, helping Kuvira to stand back up.

"I'm fine. That lake is surprisingly deeper than I thought."

"Thank you." Petunia said, smiling in gratitude, which caught Kuvira off guard. "You saved my life."

Kuvira blinked in surprise. She had heard many say their thanks to her before, but that was during her Great Uniter days, where only few people thanks her if her tyranny benefited them, while others were either spiteful or terrified of her. This…this was different. She saved the child because…it just felt like a natural reaction. She saw someone helpless in need of help so she reacted.

"Uh…not problem, kid." she replied with visible uncertainty.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash helped Petunia up, placing one of her arms around their shoulders. "Come on, let's take a look at that ankle, sweetie." Flutteshy said as she and Rainbow helped the child to the infirmary.

"What could have caused the boat to crash like that?" Twilight asked.

"What happened?" Sunset asked Gaby.

"We don't know what happened. It was so weird. We were stuck in a middle of the lake with no wind, then all of a sudden, _bam!_ The wind picked up, and we were pushed right into the dock."

Tender Taps then shrieked in fear, "W-What's _that?!_ " he pointed his trembling hand towards the lake, where a strange brown colored vine suddenly wiggled in the surface before being sucked back into the deeps. It was only for a brief moment, but there was no mistaking what it was.

"You don't think it was the spirit, do you?!" Tender asked asked, shaking in fear.

Kuvira turned away, looking down to the ground in regret as she stepped away. "No…it was me."

"Oh, man! All our hard work! Ruined!" Scootaloo said, down beaten by all the damage the crash had caused to their dock.

"What's that?!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, pointing at the lake where s strange sparkling substance began to rise up to the surface, coming from the ruins of the boat. Rarity quickly led Sweetie Belle and the other concerned students away from the scene.

"All right, everyone, move along. Savage all you can out of the water. Maybe we can still fix this." she instructed.

The students followed her orders while Twilight, Sunset and Starlight inspected the substance. Twilight pulled out a bottle of water, emptied it and collected the sparkling substance with it.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a lead." Twilight said as she stood up, "Hey, Kuvira, do you….where did she go?"

"Kuvira?" Sunset called out, but the metalbender was nowhere in sight.

(~)

Kuvira panted as she ran deeper into the forest, not once looking back. She knew what she saw. It was a vine, the same ones from which had original covered the cabin on their first day here. Those children got hurt because of her. Even after she saved Petunia's life, it never would have happened if she hadn't caused the trouble to begin with.

Just like with the bandits before. She coaxed, more like threatened, them to follow her, and had them steal the supplies of a village in order for her to give them her own supplies, which where in reality their stolen ones. She had used trickery and lies to get what she wanted, because she believed when things didn't go the way you wanted them for the better, sometimes you need to move the hands of fate yourself.

Just like before, she influenced the fates, and lives were nearly lost because of it.

She slowly came to stop by a forest clearing, where the sun's rays beamed down gently through the trees. She sat on a log before a small pond, complete with a waterfall. The tress had red mushrooms growing onto the trunks, and plants of all colors decorated the area, looking more like a radiant garden. It really was beautiful, but her sadness prevented her from truly experiencing it.

 _It used to be so simple_

 _It was a world I understood_

 _I didn't know what I didn't know_

 _And life seemed pretty good_

Kuvira asked at her reflection in the pond, the lilly pads floating on the surface created subtle ripples as they loved slowly. Every time she looked at her reflection, Kuvira could see that monster, right down to the webbed wings on her back. She looked behind her, just to be sure they weren't there.

 _But I let the darkness rise up_

 _From somewhere deep inside of me_

 _My sins overtake me_

 _Couldn't keep this siren from getting free_

Kuvira stepped into the rays of the sun, trying desperately to feel their warmth.

 _If I stay with the light_

 _I know I'll be free_

 _And I can start to be whole_

 _I can start to be me_

 _But instead I am struggling_

 _With all that I see_

 _And these friends…._

 _Mustn't see the demon in me_

 _The demon in me_

Gazing at her reflection, she saw the creature once more. She closed her eyes tightly, but no matter what she tried, the image would forever be implanted into her mind forever more. She swiped the waters with her hand, completely erasing the image and she revered back to her old human self again. But it didn't change anything. That beast…that creature, she was still a part of Kuvira. And she always would be.

 _They mustn't see the demon in_

 _Me….._

(~)

"Where is she?" Sunset asked, still looking for Kuvira. She, Starlight and Twilight had decided to split up in hopes of getting better luck to find her. She headed back to their room, only to find Spike still asleep, muttering about a dream, his tail wagging.

"So many squirrels…"

"Spike?"

"Ah!" the dog screamed in reaction to Sunset waking him up. "Oh. Aw, man! I was having the best dream. Wait. That dream could be a reality!" he said as he leaped from his bed, ready to go out and find some big fat squirrels to chase.

"Before you run off to chase squirrels, I need your help. Kuvira ran off and we can't find her."

"What happened? Did she do that plants growing from the ground thing again?"

"That's just it. I don't know if it was her. But if it was, we need to deal with it head on. But we can't do that if we have no idea where she ran off to. Starlight and Twilight are searching the woods so I came here in hopes she came by. Clearly she didn't."

"Don't worry. I can track her down."

(~)

Kuvira was still in the forest, chanting repetitively to herself. "Keep it together. Deep breaths. Control it. Control it. Control i-AH!"

"AH! Oh, Kuvira. Thank goodness. I've been looking for you."

Twilight Sparkle had emerged from a tree and, by pure luck, managed to bump into Kuvira.

"Well, you've found me." Kuvira said as she walked along, trying to leave Twilight behind. She really wanted to be alone right now.

But Twilight walked beside her, refusing to leave her to wander the woods alone. "Why did you run off like that?"

"You saw what I did back there. Those kids could have gotten hurt because of me."

"What are you talking about? You saved a camper from drowning."

"I'm sure any one of her friends would have done the same." Kuvira picked up the paste, and so did Twilight.

"Maybe, but you acted first. Your instincts were telling you to save her, and you did."

"Right after I made the boat crash into the docks to begin with!"

"That wasn't you."

"How do you know?" Kuvira stopped, his fists clenched to her side and she towered over Twilight. "Don't you see? I never should have come here! I'm dangerous!"

"You are not dangerous!" Twilight said in defense.

"You don't know me at all!" Kuvira spatted and hurried away, hugging herself, tears streaming from her eyes.

Determination etched in Twilight's face as he caught up with her. "You're right, I don't know you. So, if we're going to be stuck with each other, I suggest we started now."

Kuvira's eyes darted to Twilight and back to the path ahead of them. "You don't want to know the real me."

"Why? Because you were a monster? Join the club."

"What are you talking about?"

"I bet Sunset's already told you that she turned into a monster once when she got magic, right?"

"Not really."

"Well, she's not the only one." Twilight said, knowing she now had Kuvira's attention, "When I was fifteen, I used to attend Crystal Prep Academy. I was the most academically gifted student there…" her face dropped at the memory, "But, I never had any friends. At all."

"You were lonely." Kuvira concluded, surprised to realize she could relate to this. First, Starlight Glimmer and her found stuff in common, and now her and Twilight?

"Yep. It wasn't until the Friendship Games against Canterlot High where I met all of my friends. They showed me what true friendship is. But, unfortunately, I still had a lot to learn. I was curious about the magic around the school, that once I had it all…I kind of lost it."

Kuvira stopped, eyes blinking in bewilderment.

"I became so consumed by power I turned into a monster. Literally, with the creepy wings and horn and everything. I couldn't think, I couldn't see anything. All I saw were my own desires, being twisted and distorted. It was so horrifying I had nightmares for months after that. But, even though someone else pressured me into releasing all of that magic, I realized I made the choice so I faced the consequences. I was pretty freaked out when I realized I still had some magic left inside of me. I was scared of becoming a monster again, but my friends helped me realize that, while I can't change who I was in the past, I can choose who I become in the future. So, for the first time, I embraced the magic, the _good_ kind of magic, and I was free. They gave me a home, they gave me friendship, and I never once looked back."

"Don't you see? I understand. Your feeling a new kind of magic and you're scared of becoming that creature again. But you won't because you have new friends to help you."

"That's just it. You were alone before the transformation, I wasn't. I had friends, I had a teacher, but when I didn't get what I wanted I turned my back on them. It wasn't just my loneliness that influenced my monstrous side, it was also my pride and selfish desire for love and admiration." Kuvira turned away, "You and Starlight say you understand, and I believe you. But, there's no denying that what I did can't come close to what you any of you did."

"Whatever you did in the past, it doesn't defy who you become now. Maybe if you just talked about it-"

"Please, I really don't want to."

Twilight sighed in defeat. This girl was seriously stubborn, no doubt about it. In a way, her stubbornness reminded her a bit of Sunset Shimmer.

"Okay. But, there is one thing I want to make very clear."

"What?" Kuvira asked, only to be surprised when Twilight offered her hand, waiting for her to take it.

"Whenever you _do_ want to talk…I'll be here to listen." Twilight said with a sincere smile, which reminded Kuvira of Starlight's kindness previously. Already, two folks were offering her friendship and kindness. Regardless of how she was feeling about what happened, a part of her was still touched by these actions.

Hesitantly, Kuvira shook Twilight's hand, showing her gratitude.

(~)

Back with the camp, Rarity and Applejack were instructing the campers in rock climbing. Sweetie Belle had the harness and helmet on, while Apple Bloom hoisted her up.

 **"** Rock climbing is all about perseverance and trust." Rarity said, "Sweetie Belle, you can trust that Apple Bloom will spot you."

"Yeah, so you can totally go faster than you're going." Scootallo said, crossing her arms while pouting bitterly.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes sternly, "Scootaloo!"

"Sorry. I've been waiting to do this since we got here."

"Well, you have to wait a little longer, darling." Rarity said, while helping her sister adjust her helmet.

"Don't worry, Scootaloo, you'll get your turn." Rainbow said, "I'll go get another harness for when you do." she said and walked off to retrieve it.

Kuvira and Twilight emerged from the woods, only for Kuvira to be nearly tumbled over by Spike, who started licking her face. "Hey! Spike, what gives?"

Sunset and Starlight approached the two, "Where were you two?" Starlight asked, "We looked all over camp."

"I…got a little lost in the woods." Kuvira said, "Twilight found me."

"Oh, good." Sunset said, placing her hand over her heart in relief, "We've been meaning to talk to you about-"

Before Sunset could continue, the earth began to shake and rumble. Campers struggled to keep their balance, while several others had already lost their balance and fell to the groin.

"Is than an earthquake?" Spike asked, still being held in Kuvira's arms.

"We aren't near any fault lines." Twilight said, adjusting her glasses.

The totem pole, one of the camp gifts, became loose due to the incredibly powerful shake, and began to tumble over. Silver Spoon was in its path and Flash quickly rushed on over to push her out of the way, only to trip and fall himself. The totem poll came crashing down, only for it to suddenly stop in its tracks. A purple aura surrounded the thing, giving Flash the chance to get up and run.

He spotted Twilight, her hand glowing with the same aura, and rushed to her side. Her hand sopped glowing as did the totem pole, which fell harmlessly onto the ground. Twilight immediately wrapped her arms around Flash, hooding him tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. How did you do that?"

One of the camper called out, "Hey! Who left this crystaly dusty stuff here?!" he exclaimed, pointing to another patch of mysterious crystal-like dust on the grass. It bared a striking resemblance to the substance they found earlier in the lake.

Sweetie Belle became distracted by the commotion that she lost her footing, quickly grabbing onto the rope. "I-I think I want to come down now!"

Apple Bloom struggled to pull on the harness, "Sorry, it's a little bit stuck."

"Let me help." Applejack tugged onto the harness, when suddenly her hands glowed a bright orange and she was able to pull the robe with unbelievable force. So much so that Sweetie Belle was literally pulled rapidly upwards, causing her to scream in terror. Applejack released the harness, alarmed by what she had just done and Sweetie Belle fell downwards. The harness was released from Apple Bloom's felt and Applejack quickly grabbed hold before Sweetie Belle would fall and hurt herself.

Rarity rushed to her little sister, angrily snapping at her country friend. " _Applejack! What are you doing?!"_

"Is everything okay over there?" Principal Celestia asked, having heard the commotion.

"What did you do, sis?!" Apple Bloom asked in alarm.

"Uh, I don't know what happened. I didn't even pull the rope that hard. It's like she was light as a feather all of a sudden."

Rarity breathed heavily as she helped Sweetie Belle out of her harness, "Are you crazy?! My sister could have gotten hurt!"

"It wasn't my fault! Let me help you get the harness out."

"No, thank you!" Rarity stood protectively in front of her sister, only for Applejack to suddenly be pushed back by a suddenly sparkling diamond-like shield which appeared out of nowhere. It pushed Applejack back into a small pond behind the bushes. She walked out, now fully wet, and spitting water out of her mouth, her hat absent.

"What in the world just happened?!" Celestia asked as she rushed to help Applejack.

"Oh, dear!" Rarity looked at her hands in bewilderment, "I am so sorry! I think. Did I just do whatever that was?"

"How did you do it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I'm gonna go get Applejack a towel." Kuvira said, heading off to retrieve one, with Sunset, Starlight and Twilight beside her.

Sunset, in particular, was surprisingly happy about this. "You're not the only one with a new kind of magic!" she said to Twilight, "This is great!"

"No, it's not!" Kuvira exclaimed, "Rarity and Applejack could have really hurt each other!"

"Don't tell me you're blaming yourself for this too." Twilight said, "There aren't any plants that-"

"Uh, Twilight…" Starlight tapped on her shoulder, only to point to yet another strange brown colored plant sinking back into the ground as if it were alive.

Kuvira clenched her head in despair. "Why is this happening? I don't—"

"Hi, girls!" Gloriosa came in, :Anything I can do for you?"

"Uh, Applejack just fell into the lake!" Kuvira responded rapidly, hoping she wouldn't ask about the plant thing.

"Oh, no!" Gloriosa exclaimed in concern, "She's gonna need warm towels, dry clothes, oh, and a hot cocoa! I've got this!" she sprung away to retrieve the items.

Flash Sentry approached the girls, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, I can not be the only one who's finding all of this suspiciously weird." he said. Only for the five of them, and the talking dog, to flinch upon hearing a familiar scream coming from the mess hall.

"That sounded like Fluttershy!" Flash exclaimed, having heard the scream and walked up to the girls. The five ran towards the hall, ramming through the doors to find both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy covered in cookie doe, which was splattered all over the walls, tables and floor.

"What happened?!" Sunset asked.

Fluttershy wiped the doe from her face, "I don't know. We were just baking some cookies to surprise the campers during lunch and—"

"And I was all, "You need more sprinkles! And _you_ need more sprinkles!" Pinkie said, using her hands to reenact the scene.

"So, standard Pinkie Pie stuff." Sunset said, smiling in amusement.

"I was just tossing sprinkles to Fluttershy, when all of a sudden they glowed pink and exploded!" Pinkie Pie took a handful of sprinkles from one of the two jars beside her, and just as she tossed them into the air, the multicolored sugary candies indeed glowed pink, and once they touched the table, a blast spread more doe all over their cloths, hair and the rest of the mess hall. Even their hairs were standing on end. How was it possible that sprinkles would emit such a powerful blast like a grenade. Only, slightly less lethal.

Pinkie shook her head rapidly like a dog, shaking away the doe from her puffy hair. "Just like that, only earlier!"

Flash took Pinkie's hand and led them away from the sprinkles and table. "Oookaay. Why don't you lay off touching stuff for a while?"

"Oh, dear. We really should clean all of this up." Fluttershy said. She reached up to one of the shelves to pick up a roll of paper, only to find she wasn't tall enough to retrieve it. "Can someone help me out?"

All of a sudden, a little bird came flying in through the open window, chirping happily, and took the roll of paper, dropping it into a surprised Fluttershy's awaiting hands. She blinked in confusion when the bird landed on her finger.

"Thank you, Mr. Bird." she said, hearing the bird tweeting in her ear. "Why, of course I can get you a little something to—" she gasped, "Did you just... talk?" she asked. The bird tweeted back. "But I don't speak "chirp"." she said, and the bird tweeted again. It as astonishing, she could actually understand the little creature's words. "I don't know if you're the only bird I can understand." she replied, only to quickly regret her words. "Oh, no! Please don't call for your friends."

The others ducked when several birds, and a couple of owls, came flying into the room, landing on Fluttershy's arms, much to her surprise. "It's nice to meet all of you, too." she said politely, thought still very confused as to what was going on.

Sunset blinked, "Were you just talking to the birds?"

"Um, yes?"

The door slammed open, causing Fluttershy to scream and the birds to fly away. Rarity and Applejack walked inside, the latter still wet to the bone. "Did you tell them what happened?" Applejack asked, :So crazy! I hoisted Sweetie Belle up the rock climbin' wall like it was nothin'! Like I had way more strength than I usually do."

"And I made diamondy thing appear out of nowhere, which normally I'd be excited about. I mean, the facets were just perfect, and the—"

"Rarity!" Applejack exclaimed in annoyance.

"Oh, sorry. It knocked Applejack over and then it disappeared!"

Flash tapped his chin in thought, "Speaking of disappearing, has anybody seen Rainbow Dash?"

To answer his question, a stream of rainbow colors came speeding into the mess hall, so fast they couldn't make out who or what it was. Once she collided face first into the wall, they could see it was their blue-skinned friend, rubbing her now soar back.

"Ow!"

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" Flash asked as he and and Applejack rushed to help Rainbow Dash back to her feet

"I don't know. I started running to get the harness for Scootaloo, and the next thing I knew, I was practically back in town!"

"But if you had some sort of super speed, why you were gone for so long?" Rarity asked.

"Because I lost it when I got far away. And then it came back when I got close to camp."

Pinkie Pie gasped when the realization struck her. "Being at camp is giving us all new magical abilities!"

Rainbow's eyes widened, "Wait, does this mean….?"

Sunset and Twilight simultaneous nodded. "Yep. Our old magic is magic." Sunset said.

Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack couldn't believe what they were hearing. The magic, _their_ magic, the one they had believed was gone for good, was back at their disposal, and as it would seem, more powerful than ever before!

"This is amazing!" Applejack said, "I can't believe it, after all these years. But, how?"

"We still don't know." Starlight said, "We suspect something in the camp must be responsible for it."

Fluttershy tugged on her long pink air, her knees buckling nervously, "Um, Gaea Everfree?"

The doors opened and a shadowy figure walked in. Fluttershy screamed in terror until the figure made itself inside.

"Applejack! I was looking for you!" Gloriosa Daisy handed the country girl some towels and her hat, now completely dry. "Here, I brought you some towels and dry clothes." her smile morphed into horrified confusion when she saw the gigantic mess around them. "Uh, what happened in here?"

"We're kinda trying to figure that out." Sunset said.

"Well, don't worry about it. I got this!"

The doors opened once more, and one of the camper barged inside, "Gloriosa, I kicked my beanbag into the lake!" he said.

Kuvira noticed the way Gloriosa's irises seemed to have shrunken, her left eye twitching and her teeth slightly bare, trying her best to force a smile. She managed to do so, her eyes reverting back to normal. "I'll get you another one!" she said cheerfully.

"And I'm all out of arrows!" said another camper.

"Say no more! New arrows coming right up!"

Timber Spruce came barging in, rudely shoving the campers aside to see his sister, "There you are!" he rushed over and spoke in a hushed tone, "Gladmane is back. Do you want me to handle it?"

"Absolutely not!" Gloriosa replied, in the same hushed tone, only more spiteful compared to her brother's. She smiled at the others and headed out with Timber loyally at her side. "I've got this!"

As they walked pass, Timber's eyes briefly darted towards Flash and the blue haired young man heard the sound of an angry dog-like growl as the siblings exited through the door.

"Spike, I know you don't like Timber but you don't have to growl every time." Flash said.

The little dog blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? I didn't growl this time." he said.

"Huh?" Flash scratched the back of his head. He could have sworn he heard it.

The P.A. released a static sound and Principal Celetia's voice was heard. "Attention, campers! Anyone who's interested in making floating paper lanterns, please meet us by the picnic tables."

"Well, this mystery sure is getting stranger and stranger by the minute." Applejack said.

"At least now we know why my dreams led us here." Twilight said, "We've found our magic, only question is, how do we find who's really behind stealing it in the first place." she pulled out the bottle of water she had earlier, still with the sparkling substance.

"And I think we know just where to start looking."

(~)

 **Okay, this one, literally, took me ALL MORNING! I started at ten and finished it at two in the afternoon. This isn't really my best work, but I hope it's decent enough. Let me know what you guys thinks and here's to the next chapter.**

 **God bless, *kiss kiss***


	9. Revelations of the Heart

_*(~)*_

 _ **Psalm 84:2~**_

 _My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God._

 _*(~)*_

 **Revelations of the heart**

It was near sunset, and the stars had just begun to appear in the sky. The counselors were supervising the campers with their lanterns. Rarity was making one alongside Sweetie Belle. "This is a marvelous idea, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Rarity. It may not be any camp fashion show like the one you did when you were here, but you know I'm not as good at making cloths as you are."

"Aww." Rarity wrapped a comforting arm around her younger sister, "Who cares if you can't work a sowing machine. Sweetie Belle, you are a radiant diamond in your own right. Never forget that."

The two sisters shared a loving hug, while Applejack and Apple Bloom smiled happily. Rainbow Dash ruffled Scootaloo's hair for good measure. Even if they weren't related, they always shared a strong sisterly bond, and no doubt it would live on even long after Scootaloo graduated high school.

Pinkie Pie couldn't resist in making her own lantern, being so in touch with her inner child, one which she made with marshmallows styled into a flower.

Rarity rose a brow at this, "Um, Pinkie Pie, what are you doing?"

"Putting marshmallows in my lantern. Then when we light them, mine will be beautiful _and_ delicious!"

Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow simply shrugged in amusement. They wouldn't change Pinkie's colorful personality for anything in the world.

Near the half-newly constructed dock, Twilight, Flash, Starlight and Sunset Shimmer stood beside Gloriosa Daisy, who looked even happier and more relaxed than before.

"I can't thank you guys enough." she said, placing both hands over her heart. "You've made this camp experience such a delight, and it was great seeing you all again."

"We were more than happy to help." Twilight said, beaming. "Gave us an excuse to see you guys again."

"That's true."

Suddenly, everyone in the campsite drew their attention towards the forest. The haunting howl from two nights ago returned, stronger and more mesmerizing than before. Several campers began to quake in fear, others appeared stunned, while others appeared rather excited to be hearing the music of nature for themselves. Unfortunately, Gloriosa and Timber were not so pleased.

"Oh, those pesky dogs again!" Gloriosa grunted in anger before rising up her voice to sound chipper again when she addressed to the others, "I guess they just couldn't stay away from the camp. Can't say that I blame them."

"You sure those were dogs?" Flash asked, "Maybe you should call a professional to check it out. I mean, if you guys have a wolf problem-"

"We don't have a wolf problem!" Timber exclaimed, gaining up on Flash and taking him by the collar of his shirt. His green eyes carried the heat of anger within them. "There is _nothing_ wrong with our _camp!_ "

"Timber, down!"

Upon Gloriosa's command, her younger brother immediately released Flash, the blue-haired musician breathed heavily, his heart racing at his friend's sudden aggressive behavior. Twilight rushed to his side, placing her hand over his heart, trying to ease his fear. He had never been threatened like this before, even back when he was brainwashed by the sirens and Avatar Korra pinned him at his own locker for angrily insulting Princess Twilight Sparkle, he still saw mercy in her eyes, even if he didn't at that very moment, when his mind was cleared he could definitely make it out. But this….Timber looked just about ready to rip an arm off with little to no hesitation.

Timber took in a deep breath as Gloriosa placed a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you go and get some more firewood, little bro? I'll take care of things from here."

With that, the green-haired young man did as she asked and left the camp sight.

"I'm so sorry, Flash." Gloirosa apologized, "I don't know what got into him."

"That makes three of us." Twilight muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes at Timber who had just disappeared into the forest. First he snaps at her for no good reason, and now he was ready to physically hurt her boyfriend. That was not the Timber Spruce she remembered. Not one bit.

"I'll be sure to talk to him about it. I've-"

"Got this. We know." Starlight finished for her.

"Actually, Gloriosa, we've been meaning to ask you about the camp." Sunset said, which caught the camp director by surprise.

"What about it?"

"Well, we just couldn't help but notice things have been…happening, around here. Like the earthquake, and the boast crashing, the campers have been saying they've been seeing some strange things happening."

Upon hearing this, Gloriosa suddenly became uneasy. Her left eye began to slightly twitch and she started fiddling with the geodes around her neck. It was then, Sunset noticed something.

"Hey, where did you get those?" she asked.

"Get what?"

"Those geodes. When we got here you only had one, and now you have like five."

"Oh, these old things?" Gloriosa chuckled, "Ha, ha! They're just a few trinkets I bought online. And, about the whole "strange things", it's nothing to worry about. Trust me, by the time this week is over the only thing these campers will remember is the time of their lives!"

"But-"

"I said there's nothing to worry about!" Gloriosa suddenly snapped, making the others reel back in surprise. Gloriosa's eyes widened in realization and she forced another smile. "Sorry, I guess I'm just tired." she stretched her arms and yawned, "I'm gonna hit the hay right after this." she said before stepping a few feet away from them.

Sunset, Starlight, Twilight and Flash all shared the same suspicious looks. Gloirosa and Timber might know more than they want others to believe, but no doubt they would never tell the truth on their own. If they were going to figure out this mystery, they were going to have to get the truth another way.

(~)

Kuvira sat alone, tracing fingers onto the wooden surface of the table, a bottle of water stood beside her, nearly half empty. Spike sat beside her. The little dog had grown very found of Kuvira in such a short time. He just reminded him a lot of Twilight, or at least how she used to be. Shy, insecure and alone. His natural dog instincts told him to be there for her. After all, his kind were the best judges of character after all, and she could definitely tell Kuvira had a good heart.

"Hey, Kuvira, why aren't you with everyone else?" he asked.

Kuvira looked down at the dog, his ears lowered sadly and giving her such puppy eyes it made her heart melt. "You heard what the others said. Something at the camp is causing the other girls to get their magic back. And now, I have it too. I can feel it. It's because of it that the boat crashed and that earthquake happened. If I couldn't control magic then, how will I be able to control it now?"

"So, what are we gonna do?"

"I don't know what I _can_ do."

"Okay, everyone!" Gloriosa called out, getting everyone's attention, "It's time to watch your lanterns fly!"

The counselors lip up the candles inside the lanterns one by one. The flames illuminated the lanterns, creating a heavenly glow that made even Kuvira smile. Her smile grew wider as she watched all of the campers release their individually colored lanterns into the night sky, creating a trail of beautiful colors that reached up to the heavens.

When Pinkie Pie released her lantern, it immediately fell to the ground, the marshmallows making it too heavy to lift. "Aw! Oh, well! Now I get to eat it!" Pinkie happily munched on the partly melted sugary treats with satisfaction, "Yep, beautiful and delicious."

(~)

Once everyone was asleep in their tents, the Rainbooms snuck out into the mess hall, where Twilight pulled out her portable chemistry lab and placed it on the table. Despite being portable, it was….surprisingly large in scale for something to fit into a small case.

Twilight smiled proudly, only to receive various surprised stares from everyone else.

"What?" she shrugged.

Sunset gave Twilight the water bottle with the sparkly substance, while Spike handed her a plastic sandwich bag with samples of the same material they found on the grass earlier today after the earthquake.

Carefully, Twilight placed both on separate slides and examined them both through mer microscope. Using her tablet, she took notes on the material and was rather surprised by the results.

"That's strange."

"What?" Flash asked curiously, "Is it Equestrian magic?"

"No. In fact, it's just…gem dust. Normal, non-magical gem dust."

"Wait a second." Starlight began, "Didn't Timber say Gaea Everfree left behind a trail of gem dust whenever she went?"

"I knew it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pounding her fist up in victory, only to be silenced by Rarity covering her mouth.

"Could you please celebrate in a lower volume? We don't want anyone else to know we're here, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"But the dust appeared right after the boat crash and the earthquake." Applejack said.

"So, Gaea Everfree really is real?" Fluttershy asked, already trembling in fear.

"That would explain a lot." Sunset said, "Our stolen magic, the strange happenings, the gem dust."

"What about the wolf?" Spike asked, "I can tell a dog's howl from a wolf's but, that one didn't sound like any howl I've ever heard. There was something different about it."

Flash then gasped, "Twilight, remember when we saw that wolf the other night?"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Sunset asked, only to quickly figure it out a short seconds later. "Oooooh." she grinned.

"Sneaking off together, huh?" Pinkie said with a wink and a nudge at Flash's arm, making him blush, "You sly dogs!"

Twilight fiddled with a strand of her hair before clearing her throat, getting back to business. "Anyway. We saw a wolf in the forest right before Timber showed up."

"Wait, the same thing happened to me." Kuvira said, "I saw the wolf too, and he left right after Timber Spruce arrived."

"Speaking of Timber, he hasn't been acting like himself." Flash said, still feeling rather shaken from his early displays of aggression. "His dream was to leave the camp and now he's become overly protective of it. It's like he's become a whole other person."

"You think Gloriosa knows?" Rainbow asked, "What he's hiding something?"

"I saw we find out." Starlight said.

"How?" Twilight asked, "Even if we try to ask he'll just go all crazy asylum again, and there's no way Gloriosa and Timber are going to tell us upfront."

"Who said we had to ask them?" Starlight gave a knowing grin, "Sunset Shimmer's not the only one who's learned a new spell. I can manifest a ghost-like premonition of myself so I can sneak into Gloriosa's office without being seen."

"Kind of like Jinora's projection thing?" Sunset asked.

"Pretty much. Plus, with my unicorn magic, I can physically touch things. If Gloriosa won't tell us the truth, maybe something of hers will."

"That's a great idea!" Sunset said, giving Starlight a high five.

(~)

Gloriosa shut off the lights in her cabin office, ready to go to sleep. The window were shut and the door locked. Once all was clear, a ghostly pony figure emerged from the walls. It was a manifestation of Starlight's pony self, her eyes white as pearls and her body transparent, invisible to anyone who would walk in. From back in the mess hall, Starlight sat in a lotus position, her eyes closed, her horn glowing bright and her vision seeing everything within the cabin, as well as being able to hear the soft sound of crickets from outside.

Starlight's pony spirit self searched the room, moving from place to place, shifting into a gust of mist and manifesting back into her pony from each time. Her magic opened the drawers, finding papers, pencils, even a few neglected hair accessories. With her magic, she levitated the papers reading them carefully. Starlight then spotted something underneath the desk. It looks like some kind of trap door.

"What are you hiding, little miss sunflowers?" she asked herself. Using her magic, Starlight managed sink her projection into it, finding what appeared to be a red colored case with a golden lock.

"Jackpot!" she studied the box, only to find that she couldn't' open it without a key. "Hog monkeys! Where's the key?"

Suddenly, the window opened up, allowing for a trail of leaves to fly inside, spiraling in a pattern, catching Starlight's attention. The leaves flew towards a flower pot near hovering over the desk. Starlight flew towards it, dug a bit into the soil and found a golden little key dug inside.

"Well, that's convenient."

With her magic, she levitated the box, the key and the papers she had found and escaped as quickly as she could from the open window, which closed on its own. The spiritual pony figure returned to the mess hall, being sucked into Starlight's body. Her horn stopped glowing and she opened her eyes. The red box and key now rested on the ground, being picked up by Pinkie Pie.

"Great idea, Starlight." Sunset said, patting her friend on the back.

Flash proceeded to take the papers Starlight had found, reading them carefully. "These are all bills." he said.

"And by the looks of these dates, Gloriosa seems very, very behind on her payments." Starlight said. "And they're all from Gladmane."

"That's why there's hardly any employees here." Twilight said, realizing the sad truth. "The camp is going bankrupt."

"And Gladmane no doubts want to get his greedy hands on the camp for who knows what." Rarity said, feeling sorry for the camp director, "How could Gloriosa not have told us?"

They unlocked the box, which flung open, revealing nothing but a large pile of photographs and letters. Fluttershy pulled one out from inside, seeing it was one of Gloriosa and Timber from when they were younger, alongside their father, happily in front of the Camp's main entrance.

Each member took a photograph in their hands, looking skeptically. "These are just family photos." Kuvira said, "Why would Gloriosa keep these hidden?"

Flash found another picture, which caught him by surprise. "Twilight, look!" his girlfriend gasped.

"It's Timber. This was when he got accepted into his dream school." Twilight examined the photograph. Sure enough, it was Timber Spruce, the happy, go-lucky boy she had befriended long ago, smiling with such happiness it felt contagious. He stood in front of his new school, surrounded by his new fellow artists friends. He did mention in his letters she made a lot of them, and couldn't be happier.

"And look at the date." Twilight traced her finger over the left corner side of the digital photo. "This was only a week after he got in."

"It looks like he was very happy there." Spike said, gesturing his paw to more pictures of Timber in Germany, happy as could be.

There was even a photo of him standing beside a beautiful girl, both making the peace sign to the camera. Her eyes were locked on him. By the looks of it, those two hit it off pretty well. Each picture had the date on the side, all taken in the same year, and each date matched the time Twilight and Flash received an email from his, saying how happy he was and how he missed his friends back home.

"This makes no sense." Flash said sadly, "If Timber was so happy where he was, why is he so obsessed with the camp now?"

Pinkie Pie took the photo of Timber with the girl. "Maybe he and this chick had a fight, she broke his heart and he couldn't go back?"

Spike pulled a piece of paper from the box, which had Timber's hand writing. Flash read the words out loud.

" _Dear Gloriosa,_

 _I know it's been a month now and I haven't heard from you. I'm sorry about how we left things, but you need to understand that as much as I love the Camp, and you know I do, I can't spend my entire life there. I know you'll do a great job at taking care of it like just as dad would want, and I promise I'll help you in any way I can, but Camp Everfree is your destiny, not mine. I'm sorry I hurt you, and since you won't return my emails, I decided to write to you instead. Please, give me a call, I'll even take some time off from school if you need the closure. I only want you to be as happy as I am here, and I don't want us to be fighting anymore._

 _I'll always love you, big sis. Contact me soon._

 _Timber."_

Flash placed the note down, a wave of sadness overwhelming his chest.

"They had a fight?" Fluttershy said.

"Gloriosa was probably upset that Timber chose to go and study rather than inherit the camp with her." Flash said. "But this letter was written not long after he stopped emailing me and Twilight."

"That would explain why he's here." Twilight said.

"But not why he would suddenly abandon his new life to stay at camp." Flash said, "Timber was always steadfast on his dreams, and ever since we came back he's been acting like they're not important anymore. It makes no sense."

"Plus, I still don't like him." Spike said, a slight glow escaping his mouth. "He doesn't smell right."

Rainbow spoke next, "Okay, so we know that the camp is going under, Gloriosa and Timber don't want anybody else to know about it, and on top of that there's magic flying around the place causing all sorts of weird problems, but they're acting as if everything is fine. You think they know about it?"

"It wouldn't be the first time a naive individual dealt with uncontrollable magic." Twilight said, speaking from her past experience. "If they do know about the magic, I saw we stop beating around the bush and ask them head on."

"I agree." Sunset nodded.

Spike let out a yawn, "Can we do it tomorrow. I'm already tired."

Twilight gently carried her sleepy dog into her arms. "Spike's right. I think we all deserve from sleep after today. We'll deal with Gloriosa and Timber tomorrow." she took the pictures and letter and placed them back into the box before locking it.

(~)

That night, Sunset, Twilight and Starlight awoke to the sound of a window closing. The three looked over to Kuvira's bed, seeing that she was absent.

"Kuvira?"

The three looked out the window to see the earthbender running from the camp, with Spike following behind her.

"Kuvira!"

They quickly changed into their normal camp clothes and rushed after her. Sunset grunted as she finished putting on her left shoe, jumping in place before dashing behind her friends.

"Where is she going?" she asked as she, Starlight and Twilight ran deeper into the forest. For a moment, they lost sight of her, until they heard the sound of a bush rustling.

"Kuvira?"

The woman stopped on her tracks, realizing she had been discovered. She turned around, guilt and fear edged on her face.

"What are you doing out here?" Twilight asked.

"I…I was meeting a cab to take me back to Canterlot High and go back home through the portal." she confessed, not able to find any reason to lie in this situation.

The three girls looked down at Spike, "She thought you'd talk her out of it."

"Because we would." Sunset said bluntly.

"Why are _you_ out here?" Twilight asked her dog.

"I was hoping to talk some sense into her." Spike replied.

Sunset approached the earthbender, "Kuvira, you can't leave." the moment Sunset placed her hand on Kuvira's arm, her eyes glowed a bright white, her spell activating on its own, and she could see into Kuvira's mind, as well as feel what she was feeling. It was emotions Sunset knew perfectly well.

She saw it all, from the boat crash to earlier today.

 _"You don't think it was the spirit, do you?!"_

 _"No…it was me."_

 _"Something at the camp is causing the other girls to get their magic back. And now, I have it too. I can feel it. It's because of it that the boat crashed and that earthquake happened. If I couldn't control magic then, how will I be able to control it now?"_

Once Sunset removed her hand, her eyes stopped glowing and she looked at Kuvira in a new light. "That's what this is about?" she said, "Kuvira, none of that is your fault."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

Sunset looked down at her hands, "My spell. It activated when I touched you. I could understand why you were leaving." she dropped her head, "But I should of figured it out beforehand."

Starlight tried to reach out to Kuvira again, "Kuvira, you don't have to run away."

"Yes I do!" Kuvira spatted, "Those accidents were my fault!"

"We don't know that. There's more going on here than just you."

"You don't understand." Kuvira said, turning her head away.

"You keep saying that, why wouldn't _we_ understand?" Sunset said, her voice growing higher with great passion, "You think we don't know how it feels to be haunted by your past every day? To feel such self hatred that you don't know if you should even be allowed to show your face in public? The three of us know that feeling better than anyone, why do you keep insisting we wouldn't be able to help you?"

" _Because none of you ever killed anyone!_ " Kuvira finally confessed, tears streaming down from her eyes. Her heart tore into two and she turned away completely, hugging herself while weeping.

"I was abandoned my own parents. Pushed aside like I was nothing. All I ever wanted was to feel loved, to feel in control of my life for once. To never feel as helpless as I felt growing up. But in my quest for that, I allowed magic to take control of me, and I killed Hiroshi Sato. The only family Asami had left. Don't you see? I always hatted being an orphan and I doomed someone else to the exact same fate."

She finally turned around to face the three girls, "You say you understand what I've been through, and I agree that you do understand a lot, but _this_ ….this is something none of you can understand. All of the wrong doings you did, all of your mistakes, they can't comprehend with the fact that I took a life away. The life of a man who wanted to start over, and I took away his chance. He never got to see his only daughter walk down the isle, or see the birth of grandchildren. How can I go on living my life knowing that I can never give back what I took from him? _None_ of you can understand how that feels. And now that I have this new magic inside of me, I'm…I'm scared that I'll loose it again and I'll take someone else's life along with it. I can't do that to any of you."

"You're right." Twilight said, "We can't fully understand how that kind of guilt must feel. But even if we don't, that doesn't mean we don't want to help you."

"How can you even look at me after knowing this?"

"I may not have taken someone's life, but I understand what it feels like to be afraid to go back to who you used to be. And to think the best option is to run because you don't want to hurt anyone."

Starlight spoke next, "And I know how it feels to be left behind and wanting to make up for it by having things be done your way. To lean towards control as crunch."

"And I know how it feels to have ambitions fueled by pride and selfishness." Sunset said, "To want to be at the same level as someone you admire, but…you're also kind of jealous of. Plus, even if I never killed anyone, I came pretty close once."

Kuvira blinked, "Really?"

"Really. We can help you, Kuvira. And the rest of our friends can be there for you, too. But not if you run away."

Kuvira sighed and Sunset wrapped a supporting arm around her. "Maybe you just need to stop being so stubborn and finally accept that there is a better ending for you than what you did. Sometimes, you just have to let go. Like we did."

(Jem and the Hollograms, Back to the Way I was)

 **Sunset:**

 _I've been there, in that place I've been stuck in dark space Like a ghost that's been missing its life_

 **Twilight:** _Silent words in my mouth Yeah, they want to scream out Now I've left my old shadow behind_

 **Twilight and Sunset:** _In my heart and out of my mind Oh-woah_ **Together:** _No you won't go so easily Go down, but you'll go down fighting Don't know where, don't know why But you won't go back, back to the way you were You'll show who you are from the inside Gonna take your walk on the wild side Don't know where, don't know why But you won't go back, back to the way you were_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah_

 _No, you won't go back, back to the way you were_

As Kuvira listened to their uplifting song, she started to slowly feel more relaxed. They didn't become angry, or resent her for what she did. Starlight and Sunset already knew, but when Twilight discovered the truth, she didn't get angry at Kuvira at all. She was just as accepting as the other two. Even if they didn't know what it was like to take someone's life, the fact that they were willing to be there for her, regardless of it…

It was so much of what Korra had shown her. Maybe she just needed to stop being so hard headed and openly accept the help that was being offered. Maybe if she had opened her heart more fully before she never would have fallen to begin with.

 **Starlight:**

 _We're all leafs, we're all seeds_

 _That have been waiting for spring_

 _We are girls, reinventing themselves_

 **Sunset:**

 _We might fall, we might rise_

 _We are all butterflies_

 _Breaking free from our jars on the shelf_

 _Finding out the truth for ourselves_

 **Together:**

 _Oh-woah_

 _No you won't go so easily Go down, but you'll go down fighting Don't know where, don't know why But you won't go back, back to the way you were You'll show who you are from the inside Gonna take your walk on the wild side Don't know where, don't know why But you won't go back, back to the way you were_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah_

All three girls circled around Kuvira, placing a hand on her shoulders.

 **Twilight:**

 _No, you can't go easily_

 _Go down, but you'll go down fighting_

 _Could be hurt, could be love_

 _But you won't go back, back to the way you were!_

 **Together:**

 _No you won't go so easily Go down, but you'll go down fighting Don't know where, don't know why But you won't go back, back to the way you were You'll show who you are from the inside Gonna take your walk on the wild side Don't know where, don't know why But you won't go back, back to the way you were_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh_

 _Oh-woah, oh-woah_

 **Kuvira:**

 _No, I won't go back, back to the way I was_

Kuvira cried out more tears, only this time, they were tears of joy and relief. For the first time since she arrived, she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Everyone was doing their part in being her friends, but as it would seem, the one person who really needed to take the first step…

Was Kuvira herself.

She sighed, "Thank you. I still don't think I deserve it but, I appreciate it. I really do."

"Does this mean you'll finally accept our friendship rather than run away at the first sign of trouble?"

"I promise. But I still don't know why I have these powers, and unlike the others, I don't know if they'll be of any good." Kuvira hung her head, and Twilight took both her hands into hers, wiping away a few of her tears.

"You don't have to go through this alone."

"And what if I turn into a monster again?"

"That won't happen. We won't let it."

Kuvira cried out more tears, "You sound just like Korra. She risked everything for me, and you'll all wiling to do the same."

"That's what friendship is." Starlight said, and the tree wrapped their arms around the earthbender. Even Spike joined in the hug.

For the first time since she arrived, Kuvira hugged them back.

(~)

The next morning, Sunset Shimmer woke up to the rising sun, stretching her arms, feeling the warmth all around her. Ever since she gained firebending, waking up to the sun had been a habit of hers. Then again, it's always been a habit ever since she was a filly. Guess her parents were right to name her after the sun.

"Well, since I'm up." Sunset decided to make the most of it and do some fire exercises. "One fire squat, two fire squat, three-huh?" she stopped when she spotted Gloriosa suddenly arrive at the foot of her cabin office. She looked at her surroundings before rushing inside.

Curious, Sunset followed. She knocked on the door, which was already partly opened and saw Gloriosa weeping on her desk.

"Gloriosa?"

The cam director wiped away her tears once she realized she had company. "Oh, Sunset. You're up early."

"Are you okay?" she asked compassionately.

"Oh, yes. I'm perfectly fine." Gloriosa said, but her fake smile wasn't fooling anyone.

"Come on, Gloriosa. You've been stressed out ever since we got here. You can tell me, we're friends." Sunset placed her hand on Gloriosa's arm, only for her eyes to suddenly glow white, much to Gloriosa's shock.

Sunset saw images in her mind and once she let go, she nearly fell back, rubbing her forehead. Her eyes shimmered in horror as she looked at her old friend.

"Oh, Gloriosa. What have you done?"

"What are you talking about?" Gloriosa said, placing her hand over her geode necklace as she took a few steps back, stopping at her desk.

"You know what I'm talking about." Sunset said, fear and worry evident in her voice, "Please, you need to listen to me, you don't know what you're-AH!"

Sunset fell to the ground when something hit her head. She fell with a thud, the back of her head throbbing and her vision became cloudy. She saw Gloriosa and Timber, with a baseball bat in hand, no doubt him being the one who hit her. Before she lost consciousness, she heard Gloriosa's voice.

"I'm sorry about this, Sunset. You'll understand soon enough."

(~)

 **Man, I was in the ZONE When I wrote this! Okay, so only a few chapters left, and I am excited beyond belief! Can't wait to see what happens met, so let me know what you guys think**

 **God bless, *kiss kiss***


	10. Embrace the Magic

**Embrace the Magic**

The following morning, the campers were hard at work fixing the docks, with the counselors helping them. After the damage that was done the day prior after the accident, they had a lot of more work cut out for them.

Flash helped a few students carrying the wood needed to finish, while Twilight carried the tool box. Her hear turned from left to right, her bangs swiping. "Have you seen Sunset?" she asked, "She wasn't in the cabin this morning."

"Maybe she was doing her early morning firebending practice thing?" Flash said.

"I don't know, it's not like her to run off."

Rainbow Dash carried a pile of wood, carefully taking slow steps on the fixed area of the new dock. She took one step forwards, then stopped before taking another step. She proceeded this process, keeping her eyes closed shut. Once she opened them, she sighed in relief. Still moving normally.

"Phew!" she looked over at Rarity, who sat on a chair, sowing. "Uh, you gonna give us a hand here, Rarity?"

"Oh, I'd love to darling but, you see I-" she lifted up what she was sowing, "I really need to finish sowing my jacket."

"Why? It looks fine."

Rarity sighed in defeat, "Alright, fine. I don't want to risk making another one of those diamond things again. Last time it happened, I knocked Applejack over. You're lucky it was just the lake or else somebody could have gotten seriously hurt. Besides, at the pace you two are moving, I don't know that the dock will ever be finished."

"It would be, that is, if Rainbow Dash would hurry up and bring me more wood." Applejack said as she gently hammered a nail into the wood.

"Oh, I can't go any faster! I don't want to end up in the woods again."

"Don't be silly."

"Really?" Rainbow dropped the wood she was carrying and made a very slow hammering motion with her fist.

Applejack sighed, knowing her friend was right. She had been hammering the nails much softer than she normally did. And with good reason too.

"You're right. I'm glad we've got the old magic touch back, but it's not the same as it used to be. What if I hammer the board into splinters?"

The others nodded in agreement when Kuvira and Starlight walked on by. "Everything okay?" Starlight asked.

"We're just having a hard time trying to finish the dock on time." Rainbow said, "You know, before the week's over."

Applejack stood up, scratching the back of her neck. "Aw, shoot! I'm all out of nails."

"Oh, here you go!" Pinkie Pie held a box of nails and tossed it at Applejack.

"Pinkie, no!"

The others quickly reciprocated and screamed, covering themselves, ready for the massive explosion that would follow. Flash covered Twilight protectively. Applejack jumped out of the way, and Rarity's magic activated, creating not one, but three crystal shields out of nowhere, which knocked both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash down.

The box of nails landed safely onto the ground, no explosion occurred. Everyone sighed in relief at the anti climactic result.

Pinkie Pie blinked. "What? Ohhh, did you think the nails would explode like the sprinkles? Wow! Glad that didn't happen, huh?"

Rarity quickly assisted both Rainbow and Fluttershy back on their feet. "Sorry, girls. I didn't mean to. I don't know how to control this."

"It's okay." Rainbow Dash said, reassuring her friend.

"Oh, none of us do." said Fluttershy, easily forgiving her best friend.

"I know the feeling." Kuvira said, not realizing she had said it out loud. She quickly covered her mouth in response, cheeks red from embarrassment.

"Wait, you have them too?" Rainbow asked in surprise.

Kuvira didn't know if to say the truth or not. Looking over at Twilight and Starlight, who both nodded their heads, smiling in reassurance, did Kuvira take in a deep breath. She had to stop hiding and start opening up. Deep down inside, she wanted to get better, but shunning others out was not going to do it.

"Yes. It happened on the first day. It was like, the plants reacted to my thoughts."

"Oooh, nature powers?" Fluttershy awed, "That sounds amazing!"

"I wish." Kuvira lowered her head in shame, gripping her arm shamefully, "You all know about my last experience wielding magic."

Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy all muttered in agreement. "But that's all in the past, darling." Rarity said, "From what we've seen, you're not that same dictator you were."

"Yeah, you saved a camper from downing." Rainbow Dash said.

"But, what if my magic was what caused it? What if I can't control it and it goes berserk?"

"So you don't know how it works, neither do we. And you've seen what happened."

"We're on the same boat, sugarcube." Applejack said, patting Kuvira's shoulder.

Twilight smiled, "You know, when I first got magic, I didn't know how to control it. But Sunset helped me realize that rather than just brush it aside, it could be used to make things better."

Flash nodded in agreement, "Totally. I may not know much, or anything, about magic as much as you girls, but I've seen what you can do with it. You all used magic to defeat Sunset when she turned into a monster and showed her what true friendship was, blasted the sirens away with music, and brought Twilight back to her old self. If you guys could do all of that in just our sophomore year in high school, who's to say you can't do the same here to help finish a dock?"

 **Flash:**

 _So you have magic_

 _And it's not that great_

 _But when it found you_

 _You know it was fate_

 _And it might seem scary now_

 _But it can be wonderful, too_

 _So how about we embrace the magic_

 _And make the magic part of you?_

Twilight, Flash and Starlight led the others to help fix the dock. "Come one, everybody!" Twilight said, optimistically, "Let's do this Rainboom style!"

Kuvira was taken by the hand, curtesy of Starlight, showing her just what the others girls did to use their new abilities to fix the dock. Pinkie Pie used her exploding sprinkles to create holes in the wood and Rainbow Dash used her supper speed to build a bench, while Pinkie spun a paintbrush around the rainbow stream Rainbow left behind as she ran. Once she was finished, in literally five seconds, the bench was already finished, perfectly painted and constructed. The two high fiver. Now _that_ was the Rainboom teamwork!

 **Starlight:**

 _You take a little dash of magic_

 _And you let it ignite_

 _Mix things up a little bit_

 _And it might start to go right_

 _In just five seconds flat_

 _How the story has changed_

 _All 'cause now you've embraced the magic_

 _And it just got better in every way_

Kuvira smiled as she watched the progress. Their magic, though new and strange to them, when they used it for something useful, it wasn't scary anymore. They didn't feel terrified of hurting anyone. It was like fitting ones foot into a shoe that was just your size after being hesitant to try it on. It was the perfect fit.

Twilight used her levitation magic to rise up the boards and place them into their rightful place, allowing for Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Tender Taps and Flash to nail the pieces together much faster.

 **Twilight:**

 _I say embrace the magic_

 _No more holding back, just let it out_

Both her and Starlight took Kuvira by both arms, overlooking the lake, the wind blowing in their hair, encouraging Kuvira that the magic was not something to be scared of, even if it was hard to understand at times.

 **Twilight and Starlight:**

 _If you can take the magic_

 _And learn a little more what it can do_

 _Once the magic is part of you_

The showed Kuvira just how Applejack was able to place, not one, but two poles in their rightful spot, all while casually chewing on an apple. Rarity spotted one of the campers about to fall into the lake while on a boat. With one swipe, she created a diamond shield which caught the girl before she fell into the lake.

A smile grew on Kuvira's face. Seeing them all use their powers for such good was truly inspiring.

 **Twilight, Starlight and Flash:**

 _What's standing in your way_

 _That you can't move today?_

 _You've got the strength in you_

 _To make your dreams come true_

 _No need to shield yourself_

 _From the magic that can help_

 _Protect from any harm that might come_

Kuvira sat down on a log, beside Fluttershy, who happily placed a flower in her hair. Kuvira took the flower, and to her amazement, it changed color, growing several more petals, making it look almost like something out of a painting. Enchanted by its beauty, she instead gave it to Fluttershy, placing it in her long pink hair. Fluttershy responded by hugging the earthbender, much to her surprise and delight.

 **Starlight:**

 _So you have magic_

 _And it's not that great_

 _But when it found you_

 _You know it was fate_

 _So if you listen close_

 _You might make a new friend_

 _And together we can make it!_

A bird chirped in Fluttershy's ear and she nodded, allowing it to take a trail of flowers she was making and wrap it around the tall sign above the dock, which read the camp's name.

 **All together:**

 _I say embrace the magic_

 _No more holding back, just let it out_

Pinkie Pie placed the last lantern onto the pole, when Flash playfully ruffled her puffy hair. Twilight, Starlight, Kuvira and the others all gathered together, with their arms around each other, proudly looking at their final work.

 _If you can take the magic_

 _And learn a little more what it can do_

 _Once the magic is part of you_

 _Once the magic is part of you!_

 _Once the magic is part of you_

 _Once the magic is part of you_

"Okay, that was pretty awesome!" Rainbow said proudly.

"And look what we managed to accomplish!" Twilight said, smiling proudly, "I wish Sunset could see this. She'll be so proud."

"Hey, where is Sunset?" Starlight asked, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her this morning."

"I thought she was with the other campers." Kuvira said, suddenly growing worried. "We should go and look for her."

(~)

The group had dispersed to cover more ground. Kuvira took the left and walked beside Gloriosa's office. She heard the camp director yelling angrily, no doubt at her brother.

"I just wish you didn't have to do that to her!"

Curious, Kuvira leaned her back against the side of the door, making sure not to be seen as she eavesdropped in on the conversation.

"I did it for you!" she heard Timber yell back, "I've done everything you asked for, what more do you want?"

"More! I need more of it!"

"Then so be it. Go get more and I'll take care of things from here."

Kuvira gasped and quickly jumped out of the way once the door opened and Gloriosa and Timber both exited at the same time Gloriosa walked off in the opposite direction, while Timber walked towards the rest of the campers. Thankfully, he didn't pay her any attention, but Kuvira's eyes were on Gloriosa.

"Where is she going?"

(~)

"Gah! Where could she be?" Twilight exclaimed in exasperation.

Flash's eyes suddenly widened in shock, his body tensing up. "Uhhhh…."

"What?" Twilight asked. Flash remained silent and, while keeping his eyes forward, not moving an inch, he spun Twilight around, and his girlfriend too gasped.

Not too far away, they saw Sunset Shimmer in apparently a deep conversation…with Timber Spruce!

"What is she doing?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe she's getting some information?" Flash suggested.

"Without telling anyone? I don't think so."

After having finished her conversation, she walked up towards both Twilight and Flash. "Hey, guys." she greeted casually. "What's up?"

"We should be asking you that." Twilight said, "What were you talking about with Timber."

"Nothing. I was just out for a walk and bumped into him."

"Did you figure out anything?" Flash asked, getting straight to the point.

"About what?" Sunset asked, confusing her former boyfriend.

"About the magic." Flash clarified, arching an eyebrow, "Or about the camp closing down."

"What? Oh, that?" Sunset scoffed, "That was just a misunderstanding. The camp's not closing down."

"What are you talking about? Starlight saw the bills, you were there."

Sunset blinked several times before answering, "Look, I talked about it with Timber and he cleared everything out. There's nothing to worry about."

Both Twilight and Flash gave a skeptical look. "What's wrong with you?" Flash asked.

"Nothing is wrong with me." Sunset stated, placing her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Sunset. We've been friends for years, and we used to date. You're not acting like yourself."

"Since when are you the one to tell me how I should act?" Sunset replied, spitefully.

Twilight blinked in surprise, "What's gotten into you?"

"Ask your boyfriend. He seems to be the expert around here."

Flash was especially shocked by this. Unlike Twilight, he knew Sunset long before her redemption, and now, it seemed as if that old self was surfacing once again. Which really didn't make any sense at all. Why would Sunset suddenly start acting like that insensitive bully again?

"If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny!" Flash exclaimed.

Sunset waved her hands sarcastically, "Oooh, what you gonna do, send me to my room? Just because we're friends doesn't mean it's your job to look out for me."

"Protecting my friends _is_ my job!"

"Well, maybe you should resign." Sunset said, flicking Flash's forehead, which only shocked the two even more.

Spike, who had been with them, sniffed Sunset's sneakers and, for the first time ever, he started to growl angrily at Sunset, who scoffed in disgust.

"Twilight, control that dog of yours!" she exclaimed.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it!" Twilight exclaimed, narrowing her eyes.

"Like I care what you think. You're just a pathetic little nobody who we only allowed into the group because we felt bad for you."

Twilight gasped, "Sunset, how can you say that? I thought we were friends!"

A whistle called out to Sunset, and she saw Timber waving for her to come. "Sorry, but I've found better friends." Sunset flipped her hair and walked away towards Timber. Once she arrived, he took her by the and the two walked away into the forest, hand in hand.

Flash and Twilight shared the same look of determination. Whatever had happened to Timber, was happening to Sunset. And whatever it was, they were going to find out what it was.

(~)

Kuvira followed Gloriosa deeper into the woods, surprised to see they have hiked out this far. When she made a turn, Kuvira ran right into a spider web. The sticky material clouded her vision and she immediately wiped it off. Once she did, she saw that Gloriosa was gone.

"Shoot!" she muttered to herself, trying to find any trace left of her. Suddenly, a hand reached out and covered her mouth. Her shrieks muffled against the two palms, only to come to ease when she saw who it was.

"Flash? Twilight? What are you doing out here?"

"We were following Timber and Sunset." Twilight explained, "She's not herself. What are you doing here?"

"I was following Gloriosa. I overheard her and Timber talking but I lost her."

The three nearly fell over at the sound of rock sliding which shook the earth. They followed the sound and, moving a few branches aside, they saw the rock quarry, with the opening of a cave, partly covered by boulders. Just as expected, they saw Timber and Sunset and walked right inside.

"I knew he was up to something!" Flash concluded, narrowing his eyes, feeling deeply betrayed by his so called friend.

"What's going on down there?" Kuvira asked.

"I think it's Gaea Everfree." Twilight concluded and walked on ahead with fierce determination, "C'mon!"

The group managed to enter via a thin opening in between the boulders which was easy to miss from afar. Their footsteps giving faint echoes as they walked deeper into it. Twilight gripped Flash's hand, the darkness surrounding them.

The darkness began to fade and a radiant white light began to brighten up the cave. On the walls, they saw sparkling stones that emitted a faint heavenly glow. Kuvira recognized these stones as geodes, but she had never seen any like this before.

The group gasped in awe once they saw the source of the light. A hole in the cave rested just above a dazzling display of stalagmites that rose upwards from the ground. On the surface were various geode stones, each one changing into various colors. Several holes adorned the rocks, almost as if the gems themselves had been removed.

"Whoa…"

"This place is beautiful." Twilight said.

Kuvira felt a strange tingling sensation inside of her. This place, it felt…familiar somehow. Her bright was taken back to Harmonic Convergence, when both her world and Equestria merged together as one. That feeling of warmth and happiness, as well as an indescribable energy that coursed through her, and many others, that day returned as quickly as a speeding car.

"There's…there's Equestrian magic here." she said, "I can feel it."

Spike's ears perked up when he heard the sound of muffled screams. He pointed his paw upwards, "Guys, look!"

Just above their heads, they spotted a person wrapped up in vines, dangling from her ceiling, her mouth covered as to prevent her from calling out for help, but her muffled cries were loud enough for Spike's dog ears.

"Sunset Shimmer!"

Kuvira broke off one of the stalagmites from the ceiling and using her earthbending, she levitated it to cut Sunset down. Flash quickly caught her before she could fall to the ground. Together, they helped her break free of her bindings. Sunset sighed in relief and hugged them all tightly.

"I'm so happy to see you!"

Twilight, on the other hand, wiggled away, crossing her arms in anger. "Oh, so _now_ you're being nice again?"

"What are you talking about?" Sunset asked in confusion.

"Don't play dumb! How could you say those horrible things to me?"

Sunset was still a tad confused, only to slap her face in realization. "No! That wasn't me, that was a copy. I've been stuck inside this cave sine this morning when Timber knocked me out."

To prove her story, Spike jumped up and started licking Sunset's face. "It's the real Sunset, aright."

"Twilight, I would never say anything to hurt your feelings." she said sincerely, "Wait, how did you find me?"

"We followed Timber and, well, I guess the other you into the cave." Flash said, "Wait, how are there two of you?"

"Not just another pretty face, I see." Sunset's voice was heard, abnormally, from behind them.

From the shadows, the Sunset copy emerged, smiling smugly with Timber standing beside her, sharing the same confident grin on his face.

"Timber? What's going on?" Flash asked, taking a fighting stance ready to face him if he needed to. "Why are you doing all of this? More importantly, _how_ are you doing all of this?"

"Don't blame him." another voice said softly, right before a third party made her presence known. Her left eye twitching while giving a somewhat insane looking smile. "It's all me."

"Gloriosa?" The other exclaimed in both shock and confusion. They knew Gloriosa was hiding something, but that she knew about the magic? How and why?

"I-I don't understand!" Twilight said.

"It's it wonderful?" Gloriosa placed her hand over her geode necklace, which emitted a sickly green glow. The group huddled together as several brown looking vines began to grow all around the cave. The exact same vines they saw every time something happened around camp.

"I'm magic now. Just like you girls."

Seeing these vines, Kuvira placed all the pieces together. "The boat crash…the earthquake….It was all you!"

"Why are you doing this?" Twilight asked, "Why are you trying to scare everyone away?

"I would never try to scare anyone away from Camp Everfree." Gloriosa replied, her voice suddenly soft and mellow, almost as if she was now drained of all of her false joy and enthusiasm. It was as if the mask was finally taken off and they were seeing the real Gloriosa for the first time.

Sunset was the only one who didn't seem surprised, "Gloriosa, you have to stop this! You don't know what you're doing!"

"How did you find this place?" Kuvira asked, suddenly growing very protective of the Equestrian energy that surrounded this cave. "And why did you kidnap Sunset Shimmer?"

"I couldn't let her scarring everyone with the misunderstanding."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's talking about the geodes." Sunset said, pointing at the said stones around her neck, "This morning, when I went to her office, I saw her memories. Because of her behind payments, Gladmane plans on building a spa resort here at camp. Gloriosa found the cave and has been using magic to try and make this the best week ever. But every time she used magic to do it, she caused another problem somewhere else. And Timber was covering for her by straying others away from the cave with the old Gaea Everfree story by leaving gem dust that led away from the cave!"

Timber smugly leaned against a pillar, inspecting his nails. "An oldy, but a goody, if I do say so myself."

Flash looked even more devastated than before, "Timber, why are you doing this? Why are you putting innocent lives in danger?"

"I will do whatever it takes to save my camp!" Timber stated defensively.

"What's happened to you? What have you done to my friend?!"

"Nothing." Sunset said, a flame appearing in her palm, "Because that's _not_ Timber!" without hesitation, she hurled the fire directly at the green haired boy. Timber shielded himself from the blast, the flames reaching his bare skin.

Everyone but Sunset gasped in horror, expecting to see a horrible burn…instead, they saw that Timber's skin had shed off like that of a lizard, and instead of a burn, or even skeleton bones, what they saw was the surface of oak tree wood. Flash and Twilight were horrified at the sight, especially when the skin suddenly grew back, covering the wooden surface.

Realizing there was no need to hide anymore, Timber's eyes glowed a sickly green, his irises turning completely black, his teeth now sharp like that of a wild beast and claws grew from his fingernails.

Flash and Twilight were practically trembling as they held each other close. "You're….what are you?" Twilight asked with a shaking voice.

"He's my brother." Gloriosa said, placing a hand over his shoulder.

"No he's not!" Sunset said, "He's just a cheep imitation of your real brother! No matter how much you wish it, you can't bring him back!"

" _Shut up!_ " Gloriosa shouted in anger, her irises shrinking at her increasing insanity. "You don't get to say anything! I thought you and Twilight would understand once I told you, but I guess I was wrong. Nobody will understand anything but me and my brother!"

Kuvira stepped forward, trying to get through to the woman, "Gloriosa, we know about the camp closing, and we're sorry. But using magic like this isn't the way. The more you use it the more it will hurt you, and everyone around you."

"She's right." Twilight said, "Too much of it can be dangerous if you can't control it. I know first hand. Please, Gloriosa, let us help you."

But rather than listen, Gloriosa simply smiled, "Oh, I got this. And I'm going to use it to save my camp." she reached out her hand to grab two more geodes from the stones, a menacing smile grew on her face, the last bit of the once kind-hearted Gloriosa disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"I just need more power!"

" _No!_ "

Just as the others were about to reach out and stop her, Gloriosa's hand touched the surface of the stones, and outstretching her hand, she manipulated the plants from the ground to rise up and trap the group in place, all the while Timber watched with malicious enjoyment and the fake Sunset Shimmer dissolved into leafs onto the floor.

With two more magical geodes at her disposal, Gloriosa could feel the energy around her. It was so strong, so intoxicating she accepted it without hesitation. She smiled in satisfaction as the geodes formed a new S shaped necklace around her neck.

Her body rose from the ground and vines wrapped around her legs and upper torso. Her sunshine shirt and navy shorts disappeared, replaced by a multi green colored full body dress with vine-like designs, purple forest leafs and long brown wooden colored gloves that reached just bellow her shoulders. The necklace connecting her sweetheart top, which also had purple leafs on the outlines. Her shoes were replaced with long stockings, brown vines wrapped around her legs and two daisies placed at her angles. Her hair became longer, moving in an intangible wind, turning into a glowing cyan color with light aquamarine streaks. Her skin became a sickly ceriseish gray, her eyes became pools of black tar, her pupils now light brilliant green and a mask of moderate raspberry surrounded the outline of her eyes. A brown headband rested on her head, decorated with glowing green stones that reminded Kuvira of the Zenix stone from her past as a siren.

Timber's body also began to shift and change, his skin shedding away like a snake's revealing his true wooden form underneath. His shirt ripped apart, his upper body becoming more muscular and monstrous in design. His shorts remained and a long vine-like tail grew, along with new sharp claws, sharp pointed ears and his face was no longer that of a human's but resembled more of a wild wolf, ready to attack and devour its pray. His eyes were now identical to his sister's. Once his transformation was complete, he let out a blood curling howl, unlike the previous one they had heard before, this howl sounded so frightening it would send even the bravest of soldiers or the most fearless of predators running for their lives.

They didn't think it was possible, but they were looking at a werewolf made entirely out of plants and tree bark.

Gloriosa smiled wickedly at her new transformation, her body glowing green as she hovered over the ground. "Sorry, guys. I know what I need to do. But I feel like we're not on the same page. So…"

Both Gloriosa and Timber exited the cave, ignoring the others struggling to desperately to break free, while calling out to their friend.

"Gloriosa!"

Once outside, she used her newly increased power to command the vines to move the two large boulders further, completely sealing off the entrance to the cave. She heard their cried for help, but completely ignored them and the two siblings made their way back to camp.

The others grunted, no matter how tight the vines were, they needed to break free.

"I can't believe Gloriosa would do this!" Twilight said, struggling in the vine's grip.

Flash looked over at Sunset, "Sunset, what did you mean by that wasn't Timber and Gloriosa couldn't bring him back?"

Sunset looked down in sadness. "I'm sorry, Flash. When I saw Gloriosa's past, I…I also saw Timber." she hesitated to speak, but found he needed to know the truth. "She was really mad that he left, so much that she swore never to speak to him. But, he was on his way to the airport to visit…it was raining really hard, the cab driver could barely see and…." he voice caught in her throat upon seeing the horrified looks on both Twilight and Flash. Sunset gulped before she finished.

"Timber…Timber didn't make it."

And just like that, the entire cave fell into silence.

"When Gloriosa found out, she was so angry and hurt that she tried to brush it off. She hid the pictures and everything away so she'd never have to relive it. When the camp was going under and she found the geodes, they created that copy of Timber so Gloriosa wouldn't feel alone. She's lost her dad, her brother, this Camp is all she has left of her family. I can understand why she did this, but that still doesn't make it right."

Flash was beyond speechless. "That's why he didn't write back for so long." he concluded, "We….we never knew."

Twilight was already shedding tears. Not only had their old friend Gloriosa completely lost herself due to the magic, but their good friend Timber…had been gone for a while and they were completely left in the dark.

Kuvira felt her own heart break. Throughout this entire trip, she had found tree girls who could relate to her past trauma, only now, for the very first time…

She could relate to somehow more than herself than she realized. And if they didn't act fast, she would make the same mistake Kuvira did.

(~)

 **What a twist! Yep, this Timber was never the real one and the real one died in a car accident on his way to the airport to make up with his sister, and now Gloriosa is in denial, using a knockoff to keep her company, and now she's completely mad with magic, having resulted to supernatural means and a twisted companion who only further pushed her descendant to madness rather than be there for her.**

 **Mmmm….where have we heard that before?**

 **Only a few more chapters to go. God bless, *kiss kiss***


	11. The Battle Within

_*(~)*_

 _ **Deuteronomy 4:12~**_

 _"Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form-only a voice._

 _*(~)*_

 **The Battle Within**

Back at camp, the other Rainboom gathered together at the newly constructed dock, Starlight was practically panting. "Okay, I couldn't find Sunset, but now Twilight, Flash, Spike and Kuvira are missing too!"

"You don't think Gaea Everfree took them, do you?" Fluttershy asked with worry.

Applejack blinked upon noticing something strange happening to the ground beneath them. "Uh, guys?" pointing her finger downwards, the others gasped and jumped back as brambles began to grow and sprout all across the campsite. The campers screamed in terror and ran as quickly as they could away from the vines, which apparently had taken on a life of their own.

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rallied together, with Apple Bloom shielding her two friends from the brambles, "What's going on?!" asked the young redhead.

Rarity gasped, her eyes the size of dinner plates as she clenched her heart, which felt it was on fire at the sight before her. She never thought she'd see another one of these creatures again.

"Oh, my goodness!"

Rising from out of the forest was none other than Gloriosa, alongside her trusted Timber werewolf, snarling and growling at anyone who dared come near his "sister". Gloriosa looked just as beautifully terrifying as Midnight Sparkle or the sirens, but if there was anything these students knew from the Canterlot alumni, it was that when something is gorgeous but has an obviously sinister vibe, you better stay away.

"Attention, campers!" Gloriosa spoke, her voice sounding louder, more powerful and, even insane.

The campers screamed, "It's Gaea Everfree!"

"She's real!"

"Aah! We're doomed!"

While the Rainbooms were still astounded to see another magical evil creature again after so long, Starlight Glimmer stepped forward, ready to fight. "What do you want, Gaea? Where are our friends?"

"What's the matter? Don't you girls recognize me?"

Applejack squinted her eyes, taking notice of the familiar freckles, face shape, and even the voice as well as the skin tone and hair. Despite it being in a new color, her bang remained vaguely similar, but well enough for them to recognize it. As well as the geodes that adorned her neck, emitting a green ray of lightning every two minutes.

"Gloriosa?! Is that you?!" Applejack exclaimed, too shocked to realize that the sweet, kind-hearted Gloriosa Daisy has turned into such a sight. Then again, a similar event happened to their humble friend Twilight Sparkle.

"Wait, so _you're_ Gaea Everfree?" Rainbow said in horrified shock, "You're the one who stole our magic?"

"I didn't steal anything, and Gaea Everfee was just a camp fire story." she said, her body emitting a sickly green light and streams of lightning across her arms, head, hair and legs. "The magic that surrounds this is going to save my camp! Isn't that right, Timber?"

The Timber Werewolf howled in agreement, a sickly haunting howl that sent shivers down the spine and ones knees buckle in fear.

"That's Timber?!" Starlight said in exclamation, "Am I going crazy, or does he suddenly look like a giant wooden dog?"

"Freaky-deaky!" Pinkie Pie said, poking out from the right side of the screen.

Timber growled at the campers, "Listen well, all of you! My sister has an announcement to make!"

Gloriosa smiled wickedly, baring her white teeth, and her left slightly twitching. "Gladmane wants this to be the last session of Camp Everfree. But don't worry, _I got this!"_

The geodes around her neck glowed brighter in correspond to her mood. She punctured her nails into the ground and, on her demented command, the ground trembled just as it did before, green streams of light spread all around, freighting the campers and principals. The trees of the forest moved, several even fell as long, sickly brown colored brambles rose up from the ground, still causing the camp to shake. The campers tried fleeing for their lives, but were soon incarcerated within cages of green and brown. A wall formed around the campsite, completely blocking it from the rest of the forest, even the lake was no longer see for the brambles hid its beauty away from view.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tried rushing for their sisters, but didn't even get the chance to call out their names once the brambles hid them away. The girls screamed desperately for help as Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Rash rushed to try and forcibly yank the brambles apart.

"Apple Bloom!"

"Sweetie Belle!"

"Scootaloo!"

Starlight saw the brambles reaching towards them and, thinking fast, pulled Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy out of the way before they got crushed. The vines destroyed the new dock instead. Pinkie Pie's jaw dropped.

"What?! Oh, come on! We literally just finished building that!" the pink girl exclaimed, waving her arms and fists in a frenzy of rage.

But while the campers were horrified by what was happening, Gloriosa simply smiled, joyfully watching the plants growing at her command.

 _I have waited for the day_

 _To send this greedy wolf away_

 _Now the magic is my salvation_

 _Gather close in my protection_

 _We... will... stand for Everfree!_

More brambles grew, further blocking the natural beauty of the woods with each breath Gloriosa took. When a few campers tried to run away, they were blocked by the Timber Werewolf, who growled, commanding them to return back.

Gloriosa marveled at her artistry as brambles grew around the totem pole, one of the camp gifts, to the point where if it were any tighter the gift itself would be crushed. But, due to the blindness of being in possession of such intoxicating magic, Gloriosa couldn't see this reality.

 _Behold the beauty of nature in all its glory_

 _No need to fear the vultures at the door_

Students fled to the cabins, where Celestia stood at the entrance, shielding both her sister and the campers, only to be trapped inside by more brambles.

 _Right here you have me to protect you_

 _Within these walls of thorns_

 _Forever free, forevermore!_

From within their prison, Apple Bloom spotted an axe and quickly began chopping down the brambles. Only for the Timber Werewolf to suddenly manifest in front of her, in the form of brambles which grew from the ground to form his body. He growled and took the axe in his mouth before turning back into brambles and was sucked back into the ground, reappearing once again beside his sister, who trapped the axe in unbreakable vines.

 _They have come into our domain_

 _Here to seal our camp in chains_

 _But we have held it for generations_

 _This is just a complication_

 _We... will... stand for Everfree!_

Gloriosa saw how scared the campers were, but she was currently lacking in any true legitimate logic and reasoning to fully comprehend the destruction she was causing. With these brambles Gladmane will never take her camp away, she and the campers will be happy here. Here in her paradise. They can be her new family, her with Timber, the Camp, the forest and magic all together….forever.

 _Trust in me, this is for your own good_

 _Don't be afraid, nature is our friend_

She smiled sweetly as she made slim vines wrap around the gazebo, though beautiful with its radiant green sparkles, it was still terrifying for the campers underneath it, who had no say in the matter. Gloriosa made a beautiful flower grow from the ground, but unlike the one Kuvira made to give to Fluttershy, it had sinister colors of red, the color of blood and anger, while Kuvira's was bright with yellows and soft pinks hues, this one had dark purple petals and hues, as dark as Midnight Sparkle's old dress.

 _All of this beauty that surrounds us_

 _Every lovely bloom designed to defend_

The brambles moved at Gloriosa's command, trapping the frightened campers within the Gazebo, just as they thought, they wouldn't have any say if they could leave or not. Brambles even trapped the camp gifts, treasures that once held meaning were now just as much prisoners as anyone else here. Gloriosa was in command now, there was no use denying it.

 _Let them come, just let them try!_

 _I'm not about to say goodbye!_

 _This camp will be here throughout the ages_

 _Written into the history pages_

 _We... will... stand for Everfree!_

Starlight and the others hid behind the boat, watching as Gloriosa sunk deeper and deeper into insanity. "Poor Gloriosa." Fluttershy said, feeling sympathy for their old friend, "If only we had known, we could have helped her."

"It's not like she would have wanted it to begin with." Applejack said, hugging her legs in despair. "You heard her, "I've got this!", and she kept the whole thing a secret from us to begin with. Clearly, she didn't want out help." Applejack said, mimicking Gloriosa's high pitched happy voice.

"That doesn't mean we couldn't have tried! We were so focused on solving this mystery, we didn't stop to think about how Gloriosa could have been feeling about the Camp closing down. It's no wonder she turned to magic to solve her problems." the pink haired girl looked down in regret. "Some friends we are."

"What are we going to do?" Rarity asked.

Determination flashed in Starlight's eyes as she stood up, facing everyone. "What Fluttershy said we should have done. We help her."

"How? This isn't the first time we've dealt with a power hungry innocent, darling. She won't listen to reason so long as she has that magic."

"The magic comes from her geodes, if we take them off maybe she'll snap out of it. We have to try, if we don't we'll lose her, and the camp and everyone in it!"

"Starlight's, right!" Rainbow Dash stood up, pounding her fists together in fierce determination, "We're the only ones with magic too, it's up to us now. What do you say, guys? Ready to save the day again?"

Placing her hand forward, Rainbow waited for the others do place theirs in as well. One by one, they did just that. It was just like old times, coming together to fight the forces of evil.

Pinkie Pie jumped for joy, hugging Rainbow Dash so tightly she could hardly breath, "Alright! The Rainbooms are back in business! This is gonna be so much fun! I only wish we had time to make superhero capes!"

"Oh, me, too!" Rarity said.

Rainbow only sighed, "Enough about our wardrobe! We've got friends to save!"

(~)

Students ran for their lives as more brambles trapped them inside. They couldn't even see the sky without either laying on their backs or moving their heads so hight up they could get a neck cramp. Timber blocked any camper to even tried to escape. He growled at a pair of female students, who hugged one another, screaming in terror.

Rarity came in between the monster and the students, raising her hands forward at Timber, creating a gigantic shield of multiple diamonds to protect them from the monster, who threatened to hurt them with his sharp wooden claws. A pair of pony ears grew from Rarity's head and her hair grew longer to resemble a tail. She pushed the diamond shield forward, entrapping the Timber Werewolf in a shimmering diamond prison.

"Down boy! Sit!" Rarity shouted, only to be caught off guard by the gasps of awes she received from the two students. It was that point where Rarity took full notice of her pony up. She nearly weeped tears of joy as she petted her soft pony ears.

"It's so good to have you back old friends."

Timber growled in his attempts to break free of the prison, only for Rainbow Dash to rush in and take the two campers to safety, with Fluttershy and Starlight behind a bush. Rainbow felt a surge of familiar energy and her old wings, ears and ponytail sprouted out once more.

"Alright!" she cheered, happy to feel twenty percent more awesome again.

As she rushed to save more campers, Fluttershy spotted a hole nearby where several gophers popped out. Fluttershy kindly asked for their assistance. "Um, hi. Do you think you can give us a hand— um, er, paw? We could really use a way out." The gophers were more than happy to comply, while Flutterhsy's old ears, wings and ponytail also sprouted out.

Using her supper strength, Applejack lifted up a gigantic boulder and hurled it towards the bramble prison where her sister was trapped inside. "Apple Bloom, stand back!" she called out. She tossed the boulder upwards and punched it forward with her fist. Her pony ears returning and hair growing longer. The three teenagers did as Applejack said and stepped aside, allowing for the boulder to crush the vines, creating and opening. The tree quickly rushed outside and Applejack welcomed her sister with open arms.

Rarity created more diamonds to keep Timber at bay and rushed to protect more campers, while also reuniting with her younger sister. The gophers managed to successfully create a tunnel for everyone to escape through, but was quickly blocked away by more brambles. There was no way Gloriosa would allow them to get away.

She let out an angry cry when something pink suddenly exploded at her face. She spitted out the sugary substance only to see it was Pinkie Pie, hurling exploding sprinkles at the floating plant humanoid. Pinkie sprouted her ears and tail once more, happy as could be. She hurled more explosive sprinkles at the bramble wall, creating several openings for them to escape from. Applejack tried keeping one opening steady with one of the tables, but the brambles only grew around it, crushing the thing.

More brambles grew, incarcerating more of the campers, even Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo again, much to their sister's horror and anger. Timber managed to break free of his diamond prison, sinking his claws into the ground, creating more brambles like his sister.

Starlight Glimmer felt the wind spiraling around her, her hair flapping against it as she rose upwards in a tornado. Gloriosa's hair bellowed and she shielded herself from the powerful force. Starlight used her airbending to send streams of wind blasts directly at Gloriosa, who was knocked down to the ground by her power.

Then, to Starlight's amazement, her pony ears, tail (not just a long hair extension), and even her unicorn horn reappeared. She couldn't believe it, she had her Equestrian magic back. Timber quickly assisted Gloriosa, who snarled in anger. She commanded one gigantic hand-like bramble to grow from the ground so fast Starlight reacted far too late and was trapped within it. She created a tornado of wind around her, breaking the plant apart and landed onto the ground, rolling over and stopping in a fighting stance. More brambles grew around her, only for Rarity to hurry to her side and protect her with her shield magic.

Rainbow Dash hurried as fast as she could to get to the campers, but even her speed was no match for the vines. One managed to make her trip and lose her balance, and become trapped within the vines. Thankfully, Pinkie Pie hurled explosive sprinkles at them, which caused the to break and free her friend.

Before Pinkie Pie could celebrate, the can from which the sprinkles were in started to glow a bright pink, and feel a few times hotter than before. Pinkie quickly hurled the sprinkles at the bramble wall, creating a great big hole, which was immediately sealed up.

"This isn't working! Her magic is too strong!" Applejack said as they witness more of the brambles grow at such fast pace, they were beginning to lose hope if they would ever be able to stop her.

Starlight tried once again, to airbender at Gloriosa, but the woman blasted green rays at her, which knocked Starlight down. Not even her airbending could stop her. It was like she was learning how to counter everything the girls did.

Of all the times for Team Avatar not to be present.

(~)

Kuvira, Twilight, Flash, Sunset and Spike struggled to break free of their plant imprisonment, but no matter how hard they tried the vines seemed to grow tighter and tighter, to the point in which it was becoming difficult to even breath.

The group panted, sweat dripping down from there foreheads to their necks and down their backs, arms and legs. Their visions became hazy, they didn't know if they would make it out of there.

"Getting…harder…to breath…" Sunset said in between gasps. "Kuvira…you need…to use your magic…"

Kuvira's face was paler than usual, her breathing slowing down, "I…can't…concentrate…"

Suddenly, a ray of sunshine illuminated the cave. Flash thought this would be their final moments, only to see the outline of a wolf on top of the gigantic boulder. The creature rushed down and approached the humans, carrying something in his mouth. Flash knew he recognized it.

"My…my guitar?"

"Take it." Spike said, nearly out of breath, "He…wants you to take it. You can..trust him."

Knowing they had nothing left to lose, Flash used the last bit of his strength to reach out and take the handle of the guitar. A wave of energy suddenly took hold and Flash could feel his lungs regain air. The vines were burned and crushed, falling into pieces which fell to the ground. His body emitted a bright yellow glow, and his guitar took on a different shape than before. A handle of gold encrusted with blue stones and a sharp silvery blade extended from it. A pair of wings grew from Flash's back as well as a pair of matching pony ears.

He inhaled deeply, his vision returning to normal. His first instinct was to use his new weapon to free his friends. Everyone of them inhaled deeply, taking a few moments to let the oxygen sync in again. Twilight quickly wrapped her arms around Flash, not only for the sake of knowing he was still there, but also so she could stabilize herself, her legs having gone numb throughout the whole thing.

Once they came back to their senses, they took full notice of Flash's new accessory. "Where did that sword come from?" Twilight asked.

Flash blinked as he gazed at his reflection on the blade, and his new pony features. "From the same place where I got these wings and ears, I guess?"

Sunset chuckled proudly, "Looks like we've got out first Boy Pony Up."

Flash smiled, he couldn't believe it. He had magic now, just like his friends. His attention turned back to the one who had given him his guitar, which turned into the sword in the first place, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Hey, where did that wolf go?"

"Maybe we should ask latter." Kuvira said, "We have to stop Gloriosa!"

The others nodded in agreement and Kuvira used her earthbending to move the boulders out of the way, freeing them from the cave and rushed as fast as they could back to camp, following the gigantic wall of vines in their way.

(~)

Gloriosa landed onto the vine encased sundial, shaking her head while clenching her hair into her fists. "Why are you fighting me?! I'm doing this to save our camp! I'm doing this for you!"

Rarity tried to genuinely reason with her, "Gloriosa, darling, we're sorry about the camp, and we're sorry we didn't do enough to help. But we're here now, we want to help you."

"You don't have to." Gloriosa said, smiling insanely, "I've got this!"

"No, you don't!" Rainbow Dash stated, "Don't you see what you're doing? You're destroying the very thing you love! The camp gifts are being crushed by brambles, the camp is breaking apart, you're keeping innocent people locked away!"

"You're not thinking straight!" Applejack said. "If you don't stop you'll hurt everyone, including yourself! You have to let it go!"

Gloriosa's eye twitched and her head tilted to the side, her body stiff and still. "Let it go?" she said in a high pitched falsetto. Green lightning coursed through her body and her smile morphed into an teeth clenching snarl, her voice louder than ever, her rage flaring.

" _I'll never let it go!_ "

The ground shook once more and more brambles grew around Gloriosa, wrapping around her wist and her legs, creating a intertwining tree root from the ground up. Timber growled so strongly it made nearly everyone's ears bleed. With a swipe of his mighty wooden arm, he hurtled the girls away all at once, each colliding with the wall.

"You don't get any say in the matter!" Timber growled, :My sister knows exactly what she's doing! She knows what is best for this camp, not a bunch of has-been pop singers!"

"Gloriosa, this isn't the way!" Starlight called out.

"I appreciate your concern, Starlight, _but I got this!"_

The brambles grew, rising Gloriosa higher and higher into the sky, the roots taking home in the ground as Starlight shielded her friends from the plants, looking up sadly at Gloriosa, her eyes now glowing a sickly green, any small trace of humanity was slipping away faster than she could blink.

"No….you really don't." Starlight shook her head.

(~)

The rest of the group finally reached the vine tangled wall. Sunset's fists burned a bright red and sent blasts of burning fire at the plants, which caused some minor burns. Flash sliced the brambles with his sword while Twilight used her levitation magic to pull them apart, allowing them to enter. As Sunset used her firebending, her ears, horn and tail grew back, much to her surprise. With her horn glowing, she gave her fire blast a magical boost, allowing for them to make the entrance bigger.

(~)

The brambles were so large at this point that they were blocking out the sky, slowly trapping the camp in a blanket of darkness.

Starlight tried to reason with the wooden made werewolf. "Please, Timber! If you really care about your sister, you'll help us stop her!" but all she got in response was an angry roar which made their girl's hair flap in the wind.

"I don't understand!" Fluttershy said, "Why are you letting your sister do this?!"

"Because that ins't Timber Spruce!" Flash said once he and the others finally made it inside the prison. Kuvira held Spike in her arms while Sunset and Twilight stood fiercely beside Flash, Sunset sporting her new updated anthro form.

"Guys! You're okay!" Rainbow Dash said in joyful relief.

They gasped in horror at the sight of Gloriosa's vines growing more and more, entrapping in her in what would appear to be some kind of tree. It was as if her powers were gaining a mind of their own, slowly turning her into a permeant tree where she would forever watch over the camp as its permanent guardian and protector. Nothing could make her happier.

Flash, using his new wings, flew upwards to try and reason with her. "Gloriosa, you have to listen to me! I'm sorry about what happened to Timber. I know it hurts, but you can't keep denying the truth." he shouted, hearing the crackling sound of vines wrapping around Gloriosa, entrapping her in her own desires, creating a wooden cocoon for her to sleep in eternal bliss knowing her camp will forever remain.

But Flash could see through this, he could see this was going to kill her. He swooped down and began cutting the roots in a desperate attempt to save his best friend's sister, only for the brambles to grab his sword and trap him in her grasp.

"This isn't what Timber would want!"

"You're wrong." Gloriosa said, speaking at the same time the Timber Were wolf spoke, almost as if they were sharing the same mind. "This is exactly what we want."

Flash struggled to break free, and Twilight tried to rush over to help him, but was blocked away by the growing brambles, while Kuvira and Sunset kept her away from the things, preventing her from getting trapped as well. Sunset tried shooting fire blasts at the vines to free her friend, but Timber only pushed her aside.

Flash struggled to break free, speaking down to the werewolf. "Whatever you are, you have to let Gloriosa go!" he begged, "Please, don't do this to her!"

But the monster only smiled wickedly and let out a bloodcurdling howl as the last of the brambles entrapped Gloriosa within her own magic, and even Flash was wrapped inside a plant cocoon, simply to teach him a lesson. He reached out his hand towards towards Twilight.

"Flash! No!" Twilight watched helplessly as her boyfriend's hand was locked inside. Her vision became blurry and tears shed. Her heart felt as if a knife had pierced it. Her fists clenched and her body emitted a bright magenta glow.

"That's it." she hissed, her pony ears, wings and hair extension manifesting. "No more miss nice Sparkle!"

In righteous furry, Twilight used her magic to pull the brambles apart, revealing Gloriosa herself. She looked at the angry half pony human in both shock and horror. Her eyes looked as if she was ready to face the deadliest storm without hesitation.

Twilight flew forward, giving Gloriosa a firm punch in the face, causing her to fall down from her growing tree root, and fell to the ground. She snarled as she floated back up.

"You little brat!" she spatted, "You ruined everything!" with a wave of her hands, Gloriosa commanded the plants to trap Twilight, but she flew upwards, avoiding them. She swooped down and grabbed Flash's sword, slicing and dicing the plants, which emitted bright golden sparkles once they were cut, dying instantly.

Gloriosa felt her stomach jab in pain at the sensation of her beloved plants being destroyed. Twilight also broke apart Flash's cocoon prison, freeing him. But, before the two could have a happy reunion, Twilight suddenly gasped. Her wings slowly stopped flapping and she lost her will to fly. Her eyes were wide in horror and she gripped something on the side of her ribcage. Pulling it out, she saw it was what appeared to be a large thorn, which had pierced her side. Red liquid dripped from its tip as well as on her side.

The Timber werewolf had send a thorn hurling at Twilight, as revenge for hurting his sister. Blinded in her rage, Gloriosa could not see the error of her choice. Flash quickly carried Twilight back down to the others as Gloriosa returned to her roots.

"Now, where was I?" she said with a wicked laugh before being once again incarcerated into the vines, finally closing up the bramble wall, the sky had completely disappeared, and the new Gloriosa Tree held it up in place.

As if matters couldn't get any worse, green lightning struck the ground and more brambles sprouted, preventing the others from even so much as taking two steps forward. The others rallied around the injured Twilight Sparkle.

"Rarity!" Applejack called out, and her friend acted fast in creating a diamond shield to keep them safe from the brambles, which kept on growing without end.

Rarity grunted as she strained to keep the shield up. "I can't keep this up forever!"

Flash held Twilight close. She was still conscious, but her injury prevented her from being able to use magic. She tried, her hand glowing magenta, only for it to dimly fade away. Fluttershy tore up a piece of her skirt to wrap around her friend's injury. She would no doubt need medical care, and now it was more crucial than ever they escaped, for if not, not only would they all eventually perish like the others almost did in the caves, but Twilight would surely bleed to death before then.

"Out magic isn't enough!" Starlight said, breathing heavily due to her anxiety. "No matter what we do she'll find a way to counter any attack we throw at her!"

Sunset pondered for a moment, only to quickly realize there was one person who had yet to use their magic to fight Gloriosa.

"It's up to you, Kuvira." said the firebending anthro pony human.

"Me? What can I do? I can't earthbend in here, and there's no metal for me to use!"

"Your magic is similar to Gloriosa's, you can counter her attacks to pull the brambles apart!"

"What?" Kuvira felt as if her body would break at how much she was trembling in fear. She hugged herself, her knees buckling. "But, I don't even know how to control it or how it works!"

"It's the only way!" Starlight said, "You have to embrace the magic inside you!"

"But what if it's too much? What if my darkness takes over and instead of saving everyone, I turn into a monster again? I can't risk hurting any of you!"

"That won't happen!" Sunset said, taking both of Kuvira's hands as she, and the rest of them, smiled in reassurance. "We won't let it."

The sound of the shield crackling, along with everyone's encouragement was enough to convince Kuvira. Wiping away her tears, she closed her eyes, her hands growing a bright yellow green, as did the rest of her body. She tried to focus, but her fear was clouding her concentration.

The shield cracked loudly and Rarity was pushed back, only for Applejack to quickly catch her. The poor girl was breathing heavily, growing more and more exhausted.

Twilight groaned and reached out her hand to the earthbender, "Kuvira…you have to be stronger than she is." she said, using the little strength she had left to encourage the uncertain woman. She took hold of Kuvira's trembling hand and her eyes began to glow a bright green.

(~)

From inside her mind, Kuvira floated in a place that resembled the spirit world, the very place from where she and Korra ended up in after the third spirit portal was created. Her body no longer looked flat or two dimensional, but back to how she originally looked back in her own world.

She heard the sound of a familiar cackle, and from behind she saw a large manifestation of her former siren form, towering over her like a building. "You will never control me! I will always be a part of you!"

The siren merged into a burst of energy, which surrounded Kuvira. She screamed as the familiar webbed wings sprouted from her back, her nails grew longer, and scales and fins began to sprout from her skin. She could hear the haunting melody of the sirens ringing in her ears, and the temptation of singing along. It was happening all over again. She tried to fight it, but her transformation was nearly complete.

"No! Noooo!"

" _Kuvira, listen to me!_ " a familiar voice got Kuvira's attention, distracting her from the singing. A radiant, sparkling premonition of Sunset Shimmer floated in front of her. She no longer appeared as she did in the mirror world, but back home in Republic City. Her body was glowing a radiant red.

" _You are in charge!_ " she said, her voice echoing so loudly it canceled out the siren's song.

A second ray of light appeared, light purple, and there appeared Starlight Glimmer, also as she normally appears back home. " _You don't need to stay in the past!_ " she said.

Another light, this one a bright blue/purple, and Rarity appeared. Unlike the waterbending unicorn she met back home, this was the Mirror World's Rarity, looking exactly as she always did, which was in complete contrast to how Sunset and Starlight looked.

The fashionista smiled kindly and warmly at Kuvira. " _You are a light, darling! A force for good!_ "

A blue light appeared, revealing Rainbow Dash, looking as confident as always. " _Yeah! You can kick the darkness's butt!_ "

Pinkie Pie appeared, in a radiant pink aura, " _We're here for you, Vira!_ "

" _And we'll be here, no matter what!_ " said Applejack, appearing in a bright orange light.

Fluttershy appeared, glowing a radiant yellow, " _We believe in you!_ "

" _You've got this, girl!_ " Flash appeared as well, shouting the same words of encouragement.

Kuvira could feel something burn inside of her. It wasn't the typical painful burn, but it was a warmth. A warmth she had long turned away from, and now was being offered to her once again. She had been too scared to believe she was worthy of it, but these people, these…these friends were willing to stand by her side, even after all she had done in the past.

" _Kuvira!_ " Twilight's voice called out, speaking with such strength it felt as if her very words were a sword cutting away all of the brambles around Kuvira's heart.

" _You… are not... a monster!_ "

Kuvira closed her eyes shut, letting the words sink in. Once she opened them, any chain that she still dragged along with her had been broken. Every bar on her cage had crumbled into dust.

"No! I'm… Not!" she exclaimed with such courage her scales and fins disappeared and the wings on her back started to crumble. "I have nothing to be affraid of, because the magic I carry inside me is... _the Magic of Friendship!_ "

(~)

With renewed strength and purpose, Kuvira's body released a powerful, shimmering green glow, which unlike Gloriosa's which was harsh and frightening, was warm and welcoming. Kuvira's wardrobe changed, becoming a florin green dress that reached her knees, her hair was loose, decorated with a variety of flowers, and elegant vine accessories adorned her arms, along with symbols of butterflies and floral patterns and stripy sandals on her feet. On her head sprouted a pair of pony ears, her hair grew to resemble a pony's tail.

The brambles around the prison began to change color, turning a bright spring green, with pink/yellow flowers growing all around. At her command, they dispersed, freeing everyone inside the diamond shield. Rarity could finally rest.

Timber gasped at the sight. "What? What you doing?!"

Kuvira commanded the plants to wrap around Timber's arms and legs, keeping him at bay, this time, he wouldn't be breaking out. Kuvira floated towards him, poking his forehead.

" _Sit_." she commanded in a fierce tone, which pierce the creature right through him. He hesitantly obeyed and sat down, whimpering like a frightened puppy.

Kuvira smiled in satisfaction. "Good boy." she reached up to where Gloriosa was entrapped in, and commanded the newly bright colored brambles to move out of the way, revealing Gloriosa. Her geodes emitting dangerously unstable beams of magic.

"No! Stop!"

Using her earthbending, Kuvira removed the geode stones from around Gloriosa's neck, gripping them into her fist. The magic of the stones suddenly reacted to Kuvira's power, completely engulfing the two in a blinding light.

The entire prison seemed to have frozen in time. Plants stopped growing, everyone was completely still, leaving only Kuvira and Gloriosa the only ones who could still move, think and speak.

Gloriosa's eyes reverted back to normal, green and human-like once again, but her body was still distorted and frightening.

"Wha…what happened?" she asked, having full memory of the situation, but confused as to why everything was frozen in time. She tried to get up, but quickly fell to her knees, unable to properly walk as she looked up at Kuvira, still holding the geodes in her hand.

"What did you do?! Give them back!"

"No. You stole these from the cave and used their power to harm innocent people."

"You don't understand! This is the only way to save my camp! My family's legacy! Everything I've ever known is about to be taken away! How can I just sick back and let that happen?!"

Kuvira's stern gaze morphed into a look of pure sadness and sympathy. Looking at this woman, beaten, depressed and desperate on the ground…it reminded her so much of herself. Now she understood how painful it was for Korra to see her like this. For the first time, she understood the Princess Avatar's heart better than she ever had.

"I think I understand." she said.

"Oh, shut up!" Gloriosa spatted, "You don't know anything about me!"

"Actually, I do. More than you know." Kuvira said, speaking with such a compassionate voice she wasn't even sure it was her own anymore.

"How can you?"

"I know what it's like to feel vulnerable and sacred, and to want everything to go your way. To do anything to make sure you get what you want. Wanting to protect your family's camp is an honorable desire, but you've also used it as a way to fill up the emptiness you feel inside. To hide the guilt you've felt because of your brother's death. You couldn't control your father's death, but you felt you could have prevented Timber's."

Gloriosa hugged herself as she shed tears, "My brother was an idiot! He left this place to go and study at some fancy european school, while I was left alone to run this place!"

"Why didn't you seek help from anyone else? I'm sure your friends would have been more than happy to help you."

"Oh, please" Gloriosa rolled her eyes, "They all have their perfect lives, with their fancy schools and careers and boyfriends, they wouldn't want to waste their time at some old camp! Timber didn't, so why should I expect any different from the people who planted those ideas into his head?! So they'll leave me just like he did?! So that he can get into a cab just to come and see me, only to wind up dead on the side of a road?!"

More tears spilled from her eyes, so much so it appeared as if she were shedding waterfalls. "I didn't want to accept it. I didn't want to believe he was dead. I didn't want to feel responsible for it, even though I know that I am! That's why I didn't want anyone else to know about it, and why I put on a happy face all the time and why I pushed everyone away! I didn't want anyone to know the truth! I just wanted my perfect camp and happy campers just like always! I wanted to never be hurt again! _Is that too much to ask?!_ "

Kuvira got down on her knees, facing Gloriosa on the same level, wiping away her tears. "I know how unbearable that guilt it. To feel responsible for someone else's death. We're more alike than you think, Gloriosa."

For the first time, rather than stubbornly refuse, Gloriosa listened to what Kuvira had to say.

"Unlike you, I accepted my mistake. I accepted what I did without any denial. But, just like you, I stayed in the past. I closed myself up so much that when others reached out to help me, I was blinded by my our guilt. I was afraid of starting over. Just as you were afraid of admitting what happened because you didn't want to feel alone anymore. You closed up your heart with fear, anger and pride. You sought comfort in something that, while it gave you what you wanted, it came at a cost. A wise friend once told me; Just because you choose a certain path, doesn't mean it's the right one. No matter how attractive it may seem."

Gloriosa lowered her head in shame. "It doesn't matter. I can't bring Timber back. I'll never be able to say I'm sorry. To tell him…how much I loved him. I still do." she weeped, only to have Kuvira welcome her in a warm embrace.

The earthbender shed tears of her own as she hugged the heartbroken woman. "What are you doing?"

"I'm comforting you."

"Why?"

"Because that's what friends do."

Gloriosa blinked in confusion. "Friends?"

"Yes. My friends helped untangle the brambles in my heart. The question is…" she looked at Gloriosa straight in the eyes, wiping away more of her tears, "Will you let us help you untangle the ones in yours? I can guarantee, it'll be a lot better than staying inside a sickly tree all your life."

Gloriosa looked at Kuvira, then at the geodes in her hand. She realized, finally confessing the truth, was such a relief she felt as if she didn't have to carry something so heavy on her back anymore. She gave a small smile and nodded her head.

However, not everyone was happy about this choice.

Timber's eyes glowed yellow, breaking free of the magic of the geodes, and breaking free from his prison. He let out an angry roar and charged directly at Kuvira knocking her away from Gloriosa. Kuvira tumbled and rolled onto the ground, rubbing her head from the impact. The geodes fell from her hand and Timber quickly grabbed them.

"These geodes belong to me!" he said, speaking both with his own voice and once that sounders just like Gloriosa, even though she wasn't speaking at all. She watched in horror as the creature towered over Kuvira, ready to crush her.

"This is my camp! My home! And it shall remain, for all time! If anyone stands in my way, I will end your-AH!" the Timber werewolf cried out, followed by the sound of a puppy whimpering.

He looked down at his chest, to see the end of a sword piercing right thought him. Kuvira saw it was Gloriosa, who had picked up Flash's sword and impaled the Timber copy.

The creature looked back at his "sister", his ears lowered in sadness, pleading to her in whimpers. Gloriosa felt as if a sword had pierced her own heart as well, but she now understood exactly what this creature really was. It was never just a copy of her brother to keep her company, it was a manifestation of her darkest desires, twisted and distorted into something that wanted to destroy to get what it wanted.

That was a part Gloriosa had held onto, nourished and it grew into this. Now, the only way to be rid of it…was to kill it. Thus, killing a part of herself. A part of herself that needed to die if she were to ever be free of her brambles.

She didn't even remove the sword as the remains of the Timber werewolf crumbled and fell to the ground, vaporizing into aside and rising up into the air, never to be seen again. The geodes fell to the ground and everyone became unfrozen.

Gloriosa's body shifted and changed, her hair became red again, her clothes back to normal as well as her skin. Gaea Everfee was gone…and so was the Timber werewolf. There was only Gloriosa Daisy.

"Twilight!" Flash's horrified cries caught both their attention. Twilight's wound had gotten worse.

"We have to get out of here!" Said Applejack, "We need to get her to the infirmary!"

"There won't be much time." Gloriosa said, horrified to see what she had done. "Our medical supplies aren't enough to fix this…I'm sorry."

Twilight groaned, her eyes closed shut, hissing from the pain. Flash held her close, trying his best to keep her with them. "Twilight, stay with us. Can you hear me?"

Twilight shockingly rose her week hand to cup her boyfriend's face. "Flash…I…" she couldn't even mouth the words she wanted to say. Her hand dropped, while she was still breathing, it was dangerously slow. Spike whimpered as he licked her face. Still no reaction.

Tear spilled from Flash's eyes, desperately calling out to her. "Twilight, no! Twilight, please, don't go. Don't leave me." when he didn't get a respond or even a reaction, he held her face close to his. "I love you."

The Raimbooms, Sunset and Starlight all huddled together, knowing that Twilight was not going to last long. It was then Kuvira noticed something about the geodes glowing on the ground. Earthbending them towards her, she could tell they had the power to react to one's true heart's desire. This was their key to saving their friend.

"Everyone, take a geode." she said, placing one into each of their hands, even Gloriosa's.

"How are these going to help?" Rarity asked.

"Just think about Twilight." Kuvira instructed, "Think about how much she means to all of you. Trust me."

And they dis trust her. With each geode in hand, they allowed their minds to think only of the wonderful memories they had of their friend. Even their tears fell upon the stones, causing them to glow brighter.

Then, suddenly, the stones took on a life of their own, floating out of their hands and spiraling around Twilight's limp body, lifting her up into the air, healing her wound. Her body radiated in a dazzling light and a ring of magic spread out, the geodes each locating around the Rainbooms, Sunset's, Starlight's, Gloriosa's even Flash's and one on Spike's collar, glowed brightly, showering them on a rainbow light.

Each of the Raimbooms gained a brightly colored crystal-themed outfit, even Flash gained a prince-styled costume, and Gloriosa was given a much humbler version of her previously evil outfit, her hair up in a bun with curly strands on both sides of her face. Even Spike got a cool dragon-like suit of armor on him. Flash, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Twilight's wings became more crystal like in appearance, and the newly healed Twilight Sparkle smiled as they all gathered together, creating a dazzling rainbow beam that completely destroyed all of the brambles, freeing the campers, principals and the entire camp as a result. Despite the destruction, everyone was alive and well.

Holding hands, everyone lowered down, smiling victoriously at yet another successful mission. Flash scooped up Twilight into his arms, spiraling around on their axis, their new crystal wings allowing them to float a few feet above the ground.

Twilight wiped away Flash's happy tears, "I love you, too." she said, right before they shared a loving kiss.

Kuvira was greeted with a hug from both Sunset and Starlight. "Great job, Kuvira! You finally embraced the magic!" said Starlight.

Kuvira hugged them back in gratitude for all they had done for her. And as she watched both Twilight and Flash happily reunited, she realized something that truly astounded her.

She came to this world, carrying the guilt of having taken away someone's life. Only to give someone back theirs.

 _*(~)*_

 _ **Deuteronomy 4:12~**_

 _"Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form-only a voice._

 _*(~)*_

 **Well, I cried. It's been a while since I wrote an epic Friendship Saves the Day chapter, and like always, I had the time of my life! Well, only two more chapters to go.**

 **God bless, *kiss kiss***


	12. Restoration

_*(~)*_

 _ **Proverbs 14:33~**_

 _Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the hearts of fools it is made known._

 _*(~)*_

 **Restoration**

After the destruction caused by Gae Everfree, every camper and counselor offered a helping hand. Broken bits of brambles remained on the ground, and several aspects of the camp were in pretty bad shape. Thankfully, the CHS alum used their new abilities to accelerate the process. Kuvira even managed to finally get the hang of her new plant powers.

With a smile of pure blissful joy, she effortlessly waved her wrists around, commanding the remaining brambles to return to their resting place, or to held adjust things such as the totem pole, and several of the camp gifts. She still didn't entirely understand what these powers meant, or why she had them to begin with, bur whatever the reason, she was finally happy to do something that helped rebuild something instead of destroy it.

Twilight also helped using her levitation magic, while Flash sliced away remaining brambles from the cabins and tents. The two of them were so happy to be back in each other's arms. This was the second time they thought they had lost the other. The first time was when Flash risked his life to save Spike during the Friendship Games, and just now when Twilight nearly bled to death.

Gloriosa rubbed her arm, looking shameful over her mistake as she approached Kuvira and the two lovers.

"I am so sorry." she said, trying her best not to shed tears right then and there. "At first, all I wanted was to make this the best week Camp Everfree has ever had. But not only have I made it the worst…I've hurt all of you and lost all hope of ever saving my family's camp." Gloriosa sighed as she looked at the destruction her madness had caused. "Guess now I know why my dad was always so protective of this place."

"What do you mean?" Flash asked.

"Even though I followed my father's camp traditions, I never did fully understand why he was so strict about who came into the camp. My grandparents used to tell me and my brother stories about magic that roamed around the camp. I always just thought they were fairytales, but when I found the cave, it finally made sense. It also explained why he never let me and Timber play near the rock quarry."

Kuvira's eyes shimmered in realization. "Your…your grandparents knew about the magic in the cave. They were trying to protect it."

"And I used it to hurt everyone." Gloriosa wiped away a tear that rolled out of her eye. Kuvira placed a comforting hand on her her friend's shoulder.

"All the more reason why we can't let Gladmane take this place away!" Kuvira said, as Sunset, Starlight and the two principals approached.

"What are we supposed to tell him? That he can't have the camp because there are magical geodes that give people magic? He'll want to make a fortune off of them. And I don't have the money to pay for Camp Everfree anymore."

"Then we'll find a way to make the money."

"And it's not simply because of the magic." Twilight said, placing her hands on her hips. "This place is just as important to us as it was to you and your family." she said as Flash wrapped his arm around her.

"Even without the geodes, this place has always been magical."

"He's right." Principal Celestia said as she and Luna approached them. "This camp has meant so much to so many people, my sister and me included."

"Why do you think we wanted our students to come here?" said Luna.

"Exactly!" Kuvira said, for the first time since she arrived, she looked as if she had returned to her old confident self. However, unlike the Great Uniter, she wasn't thinking about what benefited her, she was dead focused on what would benefit everyone around her.

"If camp meant so much to all of you, maybe it meant as much to the other campers who came here in years past."

"And maybe we can get them to help save it!" Sunset Shimmer said, clenching her fists in determination.

"Oh! Like a fundraiser?" Applejack suggested as she placed one of the poles down.

"Or a ball?!" Rarity squealed.

"Our old band could play!" Rainbow Dash said, playing air guitar as a result.

"I could help writing a new song just for the occasion!" Fluttershy said, "It'll be just like old times."

The rest of the students cheered in agreement. Gloriosa gave a soft smile, and as much as she wanted to be as enthusiastic as them, she knew realistically getting the money in time would not be a simple task.

"Those are all good ideas, but where would we hold it?"

"We could hold it in the crystal cave!" Sunset suggested.

"But, what about the geodes?"

"I don't think you have to worry about them anymore." Kuvira said as she earthbended the stones in her palm. "I can put all of them safely into one place, and I'm sure Rarity can make more than enough crystals to replace them."

Rarity gasped with delight, "A Crystal Ball! I'm on it!"

"I admire everyone's enthusiasm." Gloriosa said, "Really, I do. But I-I just don't know how we're going to plan a ball by tomorrow and invite everyone."

"Don't worry, Gloriosa." Kuvira said with a smile, as the other Rainbooms rallied behind her. "We got this!"

(~)

The group didn't waste any time in getting preparations ready for the event. Twilight and Flash did the invitations, well Twilight managed to place them all in order with her levitation magic. Sunset and Starlight organized the party inside the caves while Kuvira bended the stones into a specific location deeper into the cave, and formed a cocoon of vines around them for extra protection. Once she gave the two Equestrian unicorns the thumbs up, Sunset dialed a number and called someone. The caller ID image was that of a familiar symbol from a certain industrial company.

 **Twilight Sparkle:**

 _I used to think that stories were just that_

 _Set in stone, concrete as a fact_

 _It didn't dawn on me_

 _That I could change history_

 **Kuvira**

 _Now I know I'm writing my own song_

 _Fight my way to the ending that I want_

 _I'll turn a tragedy_

 _Into an epic fantasy_

Kuvira smiled as she assisted the other students prepare for the ball. For the first time in so long, she was putting her leadership skills to good use. It felt as if she were beginning anew. Starting a new chapter. She started to realize, maybe this was the reason for her being here all along.

 **The Rainbooms:**

 _Hey, hey, hey_

 _You can be a hero (hero) too_

 _Oh-oh-oh_

 _Take my hand, I'm here for you_

 _Come away with me_

 _Be the legend you were meant to be_

 _You'll always be ever free_

Gloriosa stood at the edge of the new pear, sadly looking out to the horizon. The lake was still as beautiful as ever, probably even more so now than ever. While she was thankful that her old friends were helping her to save her camp, she was still filled with such guilt. Guilt over her lustful desire to save her camp, all at the expense of so many lives. She wondered how they would ever forgive her. Especially after what they recently discovered about her keeping the secret from them about what happened to Timber Spruce.

Her silent moment came to an end when she noticed both Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry approach her, both smiling in reassurance and wrapping one arm around her. They were very close to her brother when he was alive, so having them around was almost like having him here with her. She never realized how much she really needed to feel the warmth of another person's hug. These two held no hostility towards her, she didn't understand how, but given their past experiences, forgiving their old friend's big sister was a non issue.

 _Oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah_

 _To be the legend you were meant to be_

 _Oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah_

 _To be the legend you were meant to be_

Thanks to Fluttershy's new ability, her animal companions rolled out the carpet for the ball and the bird hung light ornaments around the stalagmites. Using her super speed and wings, Rainbow Dash send each of the invitations to the homes of every person who had ever been to Camp Everfee.

Applejack used her supper strength to remove the boulders from the opening of the caves, amazing several of the male campers, and Rarity used her diamond powers to radiate the cave, along with a shimmering chandelier. Flash used his sword to slice and dice the salads for the buffet table, and also used it to make sushi. He was a natural with the blade.

 **Fluttershy:**

 _There was a time when fear would hold me down_

 _'Cause I let it chain me to the ground_

 **Rainbow Dash:**

 _Look at me now, I'm soaring high_

 _It's never boring in the sky_

 **Applejack:**

 _When I know I've got friends on my side_

 _Whatever trials, I'll take them all in stride_

 **Rarity:**

 _Together we will shine so bright_

 _A radiant brilliance in the night_

Kuvira used her plant powers to make flowers grow all around, giving the cave a beautiful nature-like glow. However, a few flowers, which Kuvira didn't create, suddenly emerged form the side of the wall.

Once she turned around, Kuvira smiled to see it was Gloriosa. She still had her plant powers, but this time, she was using them the right way. Kuvira offered the camp director a hug, which surprised even Gloriosa, who accepted it with tears of joy. Kuvira still couldn't believe it. After many years of making other people miserable, she finally made someone genuinely happy.

 **The Rainbooms:**

 _Hey, hey, hey_

 _You can be a hero (hero) too_

 _Oh-oh-oh_

 _Take my hand, I'm here for you_

 _Come away with me_

 _Be the legend you were meant to be_

 _You'll always be ever free_

The night of the Crystal Ball had finally arrived, and much to Gloriosa's both shock and surprise, it was a full house! People from her father's cam days returned, along with much older generations, and even with their new generations accompanying them.

Rarity had, obviously, taken the liberty to design the mosts tuning nature inspired gowns for herself and all of her friends. She even made a gown for Gloriosa, a beautiful autumn inspired gown, with sunflowers around her bun.

And, just like the old days, the Rainbooms performed with all the dazzle, confidence and passion as they always did. It was as if they were still high school students. The wonderful memories of their past flashed before their eyes, inspiring them all the more, and Sunset Shimmer never knew she would feel so happy to be playing with them again.

Flash Sentry finally got his chance to perform alongside them, strumming his guitar and singing alongside Twilight. Kuvira danced alongside Starlight and Gloriosa, both wearing equally beautiful nature inspired gowns, with crystal flowers in their hair. Kuvira's outfit was inspired by the lotus flower, while Starlight's was inspired by the orchid. The Principals, campers, young and old, celebrated and danced to the beat of the song. Tender Taps danced alongside Apple Bloom, and Applejack couldn't help but smile. Her little sister was growing up.

 _Oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah_

 _To be the legend you were meant to be_

 _Oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah_

 _To be the legend you were meant to be!_

 **Pinkie Pie:**

 _Your heart feels it's flying_

 _Your head feels it's spinning_

 _Each happy ending's a brand new beginning_

 **Flash Sentry:**

 _Let yourself be enchanted_

 _You just might break through_

 **The Rainbooms:**

 _Oh-oh-oh_

 _Take my hand, I'm here for you_

 _Come away with me_

 _Be the legend you were meant to be_

 _You'll always be ever free_

 _Oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah_

 _To be the legend you were meant to be_

 _Oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah, ah-oh, oo-wah_

 _To be the legend you were meant to be!_

For the grand finale, Pinkie Pie sprinkled sprinkles over her drums, and once she hit them with her sticks, they created confetti which fell upon the Rainbooms and the crowd, who cheered for the group. Once the song was over, Gloriosa walked up on stage and was handed the microphone by Twilight Sparkle.

"Thank you all so much for coming! And for helping us raise enough money to... save Camp Everfree!"

More cheers were heard, as Gladmane narrowed his eyes. He gave the woman a death glare and left the premises. Gloriosa watched him leave, and could finally breath a sigh of relief. However, she knew she couldn't have done any of this without her old friends. Friends who, she should have turned to when she needed them most.

"Thank you. For everything."

"Hey, don't sweat it, it's kinda what we do." Rainbow said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And, it's the least we could do after we after like such jerks."

"What are you talking about?"

"When we found out about the camp closing, rather than talk to you about it, we kept it secret and were more focused on finding the magic." Rarity said, looking down in shame. "We didn't have our priorities straight."

"We're so sorry, Gloriosa." Applejack said with regret, "We should have been better friends."

Gloriosa gave them an apologetic glance. "You girls have nothing to apologize for. I kept secrets from you and tried to do everything myself. Oh, if I'd just asked for help in the first place…" the red haired woman was suspired to receive a group hug from the Rainbooms.

"That's what friends are for." Rainbow said, and tears of joy spilled from Gloriosa's eyes as she accepted the loving gesture.

Kuvira and Starlight watched the sweet moment, the former looking down sadly. "Are you okay?" Starlight asked.

"You know, Korra once told me; Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems, is by helping someone else with theirs. I didn't fully understand it then." she looked at Gloriosa, who smiled her way. A smile that radiated with gratitude, and Kuvira smiled in return. "Now I do."

Starlight smiled proudly at her friend and gave her a side hug. "I'm very proud of you, Vira."

"Me too." a voice from behind said, surprising the two. Kuvira and Starlight gasped and rapidly spun around to see none other than…

"Korra?!"

"Surprise!" the princess Avatar spread out her arms, welcoming them both into a hug.

"How are you here?" Starlight asked in between happy laughs.

"Sunset gave Asami a call, telling her about what you guys found in the crystal cave. And since we heard there was a party going on, so we all came as soon as possible."

"Wait, _all_?" Starlight asked, only to gasp upon seeing a familiar handsome stallion, now turned human.

"Hi, honey."

"Sunburst!" Starlight didn't waste a second in wrapping her arms around her husband. Behind him were none other than Mako, Asami, Bolin and the Equestrian Mane Six, each looking human with their asian/equestrian styled clothing. Mako and Bolin held their respected children, and dragon Spike was back into a dog, alongside Pabu and Naga.

"Korra!" the Rainbooms ran down from the stage and hurried to hug their Avatar friend.

"It's so great to see you!" Rainbow Dash said.

"It's really great to see you guys, too." Korra smiled when she heard the adorable giggling sound of her baby girl, who was cradled in Mako's arms. The Six Rainbooms and Flash were left star truck by the little infant, giggling and cooing. "This is Iris. Our daughter."

"Oh, she's beautiful!" Rarity said, her eyes sparkling as she allowed the infant to hold her finger.

"And she's not the only new addition to the family." Mako said, nodding his head to the Equestrian versions of Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry were also present….along with the newborn princess in her arms.

She was a stunning baby girl, with radiant blue eyes and light pinkish peach skin, midnight blue hair just like her mother, but with blue/violet and pink streaks across. Normally, she was in pony form, since she wasn't old enough to morph just yet, but in the mirror world she looked just like any newborn human.

Sunset and Starlight gasped, their hearts filling with joy upon laying eyes on the child. "When did she-"

"Two days ago." Twilight replied, "Alicorn pregnancies are a bit faster than normal ponies."

"Don't I know it." Korra said, recalling her own experience when she was pregnant with Iris.

Both Iris and Twilight and Flash's baby were surrounded by their parents's friends. The Rainbooms cued at the infants, and the children only smiled and giggled. Kuvira approached the Avatar, looking bashfully with her hands behind her back.

"I guess I should explain what happened."

"Yes, you will." Korra said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Something tells me you've got a lot to tell me."

"You have no idea." Kuvira waved her wrist, making a rose grow from the ground up. Korra blinked in surprise.

"I stand corrected." Korra said, earning a laugh from Kuvira.

Gloriosa approached the group, surprised to see mirror versions of her friends standing before her. Kuvira gently took her by the hand and introduced her to the princess. "I'd like you guys to meet my new friend. Gloriosa Daisy."

"It's very nice to meet you, Gloriosa." Korra said, bowing in respect to the redhead, who blinked in awe upon seeing the new guests.

"So, it's true." she said to Kuvira and the Rainbooms, "You guys really have alternate universe doubles. After tonight, I don't think anything will ever surprise me again."

"You'll get used to it." human Twilight said, winking in reply.

The group shared a humorous laugh, only consequently stop when they spotted three more guests enter the cave. Sonata Dusk, Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze stood before them. Two of the girls looked down in shame, gripping their arms, while Sonata stood in the middle, looking more relaxed compared to her sisters, but a glimpse of uneasiness could be seen in her eyes.

Adagio now had her hair only partly curly, cascading gently down her shoulders, while Aria had her hair in a low ponytail, with a straight side bang swept to the side side. Sonata had her hair completely down, slightly cut just above her shoulders.

Rainbow was the first to speak. Crossing her arms in a disapproving manner. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up after all these years."

"Relax, Rainbow Dash." Sunset said, placing her hand on Rainbow's forearm. "They're friends now, remember?"

"I'm sorry, but with people switching from good to bad around here, it's hard to keep track."

Sunset and Kuvira looked at the three with sympathetic eyes, as Sonata stepped forward, lowering her head in regret.

"I know it's been a long time, but we wanted to apologize for, you know…using our singing to make everyone at your school hate each other, almost ruined your friendship and tried to take over the world." she turned towards her sisters, nodding her head, encouraging them to step forward.

"We're not asking you to be friends." Adagio said, "But, we do hope you can forgive us."

"And if not, we totally get it." Aria said. "We're not expecting much, just…wanted to clear the air."

Just by looking at them, the Rainbooms could tell that these creatures were indeed fully reformed. They have seen the exact same regret in Sunset's eyes when she first changed. As well as in Twilight's, Kuvira's and most recently Gloriosa. From past experiences alone, they could spot a remorseful soul a mile away.

Sunset seemed the least bit worried, and with good reason. The three would soon discover they too no longer had to worry about these girls not forgiving them, because before they knew it, the Rainbooms merely welcomed the three sisters into a forgiving group hug. Adagio and Aria were bewildered by the sudden positive reaction.

"I don't understand." Adagio said. "How can you forgive us so easily after everything we did?"

Rarity took one of the diamond broaches from her hair and placed it on Adagio's hair, making her smile and shed a few tears. "Call it personal experience, darling."

They all turned to Rainbow Dash, who appeared the most hesitant, which she was. However, she put the three sisters at ease when she smiled. "Yeah. What she said."

Adagio and Aria never knew they could feel such…such bliss in all their lives. For so many years, they only cared for their own indulgences, but their younger sister showed them they could find happiness, not by fueling from hatred, but by sharing friendship and learning to embrace love. Their mother did so when she married their father, now they needed to learn how to do it too.

And by the looks of it, thanks to their new friends in Equestria and here, they were no doubt on the right track.

"Thank you." Aria said, placing her hand over her heart, and the sirens received another hug from the Rainbooms.

(~)

Twilight Sparkle was really starting to get the hang of this levitation thing. She effortlessly waved her hands around, placing the strings of lights back into place. She turned around when she noticed Flash approach her, with his guitar in hand.

"That was pretty amazing how you saved the campers from those Rubus fruticosus." he said, giving her a sly grin, "Blackberry brambles."

Twilight giggled, "I'm familiar with the genus. It's just a little weird you say _I_ saved the campers. We _all_ had a part in it, even you. You're a real natural with that sword."

"Not to brag or anything." Flash said, magically making his guitar turn into the same blade as before, "But you're right, I was pretty spectacular."

Twilight giggled once more at her boyfriend's charming humor. "We made a pretty good team, didn't we?"

"Yeah." Flash gave a slight chuckle, scratched the back of his neck and looked down sadly.

"What?"

"It's just…when I saw you bleeding, I…I was afraid I lost you."

Twilight held his hand and placed it on her cheek, allowing him to feel her skin, which felt warm due to her blush. "That will never happen." she said softly, "No matter what happens, even if at some point we're apart, you will always be a part of me, and I will always be a part of you. Nothing will ever change that, not even death."

"I know it won't. But, I don't think you'll ever have to worry about us ever being apart. Because we won't."

For a moment, Twilight felt her heart skip at the sudden determination in Flash's voice. Her mind became foggy and her face turned as red as a tomato. Her heart beat so hard against her chest she felt like trembling. Flash held her hands and got down on one knee, pulling something from his pocket which caused tears to spill from Twilight's eyes.

"Timber always used to tell me that I was lucky to have found you. And he was right. You mean everything to me, Twilight Sparkle. The magic from Equestria can fade away, disappear off the face of the earth entirely and it wouldn't matter to me. Because it will _never_ compare to the magic _we_ have." he opened the little black box he held in his hand, revealing a beautiful star shaped purple diamond ring. Twilight's vision became blurry, but she could see the beauty of the gem as clearly as the stars in the sky.

"Twilight….will you marry me?"

The girl let out a happy laugh, tears of joy still streaming down from her eyes. "Is a sapphire just a ruby without chromium?"

The two laughed and Twilight wrapped her arms around Flash, spinning her around, her feet above the ground. Even without her wings, she felt like flying. They two shared a passionate kiss and Flash placed the ring on her finger. No words could describe the sheer joy they felt. Their story was only just beginning.

"Adorable!" Rarity said, surprising the two. Sunset, Gloriosa, Kuvira and the Rainbooms ran out, hugging the happy couple, practically squealing. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie were gushing over Twilight's ring, while Rainbow and Applejack congratulated Flash with a pat on the back.

The celebration quickly came to a stop once they heard the sound of a familiar howl, echoing in the night. The group stood in silence, trying to pinpoint where the sound originated from. It sounded louder and more clearer than before. They stepped outside, looking around the area, following the sound.

It was then, that Gloriosa spotted the culprit.

The same brown wolf from which they had seen since day one appear before him. His log tail moving swiftly against the grass, and its green eyes staring directly into their eyes. But, his gaze was specifically fixated on Gloriosa, who felt a sudden wave of familiarity overwhelm her body to the point she felt as if she would tremble and faint.

The creature sprung off, heading towards the campsite. Finally having had enough of the creature's cryptic presence, the group ran after it. The world had appeared several times for them, even assisted the group in escaping the cave. They had solved the mystery of the magic and the truth behind Gae Everfee and Timber's behavior, but this wolf's very existence had yet to be explained.

The canine stopped in front of the lake, standing on the new dock and the group stopped on their tracks. The wind picked up, causing the girls to either hold down their dresses or keep their hairdos from falling apart. Thankfully, the wind wasn't strong for long, and instead felt unusually warm. Like a blanket wrapping around your shoulders on a cold winter night. It felt so comforting that any trace of fear or worry immediately left them.

Leaves of multiple colors spiraled around the wolf, its body emitting a shimmering green glow and his eyes became as bright and yellow as fireflies. His body shifted and changed, his back legs straightened, his front legs turning into human arms, his paws into hands, his snout diapering, his pointed ears shrinking and his fur now replaced with luminescent human skin, and his fur rested on his head, turning into normal human hair.

While his body glowed like a star, his skin appeared brown, his hair green and he wore a casual shirt with black pants and a jean jacket. On his head he wore a familiar hat, one of which he always had on, and was a gift from his late father.

Gloriosa's body became stiff, her eyes shimmering and tears spilled from her eyes. She barely even noticed them. Flash and Twilight were equally stunned, speechless, unable to fully comprehend what, or rather who, they were looking at.

The etherial human smiled warmly, his pupil less eyes gave a heavenly yellow glow, making them both otherworldly, and yet inviting and warm.

Gloriosa's lips trembled as she tried to sound out his name. "T…Timber?"

"Hey, big sis." Timber greeted. His voice was exactly the same. He sounded as if he were still made of flesh and bone. There was no echo, or ghostly whisper that followed.

Flash shook his head, making sure he wasn't dreaming. "Timber Wolf? Is that really you?"

The ghostly figure smiled at the young man. "It's great to see you again, Flash. And you too, Twilight."

The two held each other's hands, still speechless beyond belief. Their old friend, their _real_ friend, was here. Standing before them.

Gloriosa took a step forward, raising up a trembling hand to his face. Despite his ghostly appearance, she could feel his skin. He felt real. He was real. Her instincts took over and she hugged her little brother, sobbing uncontrollably on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Despite being the younger sibling, Timber was still taller compared to Gloriosa.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she cried, "I never should have yelled at you! I never should have said those things! If I hadn't you would still be alive!"

Timber wiped away his sister's tears. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is. You wanted to make amends but I didn't let you. If I had just let go, you never would have gotten into that cab, and you never would have-" she could barely continue. She knew it was her fault, there was no denying it.

Timber held his sister's face in his hands, for once, making her feel like the younger sibling. Despite the outcome, he still smiled at her with all the love he had for her in life, and even now in death.

"I'm not mad, and I don't blame you. I could have easily chosen to wait another day. I could have easily walked away from the cab, I could have gotten into another plane. You have to stop blaming yourself, Gloriosa. I know you were hurt after I left, and I don't blame you. I regret having leaving you to run the camp, and I struggled every day with myself wether or not I should have returned."

"You didn't." Gloriosa said, "I know how much you wanted to go to that school. Instead of being happy for you, I was thought only about myself. I focused on what I wanted and didn't give much importance to what _you_ wanted. And I'm sorry for that." she placed her hands on Timber's face. "I really was proud of you, Timber. You grew up to be the amazing man dad always knew you'd become." she sucked in her lip as more tears came out. "I just wish you've been given the chance to live your life. To get married and have a family of your own. And now…now you'll never…"

She sobbed, lowering her head in shame and Timber continued to hug her. "I don't regret the little time I had." he said, rubbing her back the same way their father used to do when she was upset. "I don't regret any of it. Even the small time I spent at that school, all the summers here, all the friends I've made. I wouldn't trade them for anything. I may not have lived a long life, but for what it's worth…it's been a good one. But I couldn't move on unless you did. After the accident, I felt drawn back to camp. I felt the magic from the caves grandpa used to tell us about. I took the form of a wolf to try and reach out to you. But, I came too late and you had already found the geodes. I tried to speak to you, but that fake me kept pushing me away from you. I knew you would never be able to hear me so long as he was around, so I used the magic to contact out old friends."

"Wait, the dreams I've been having, that was you?" Twilight said in disbelief.

"Yeah. Since you already had magic inside of you, I knew you and Flash were the best people who could help my sister face the darkness within, so we could see each other again."

Twilight slapped her palm on her forehead in realization, "Oh, now it makes sense! You kept showing me memories from our senior trip to Everfree, and when I kept dreaming of "the darkness within", my subconscious thought up of Midnight Sparkle. That's why I kept seeing her, Gloriosa was facing her own inner demons just like I did."

"So, that's why you kept running off every time the fake Timber was around." Flash concluded, "But, how did you know to give me my guitar when we were in the caves?"

"I knew you had gained magic the moment Twilight kissed you in the forest." Timber explained, "Even when you didn't see or hear me, I was always there, trying to protect you as best I could. Now, thanks to you guys, my sister is finally free…and so am I."

"You…you stayed for me?" Gloriosa said, feeling all the more guilty.

"Yes, I did. I wanted to let you know that I don't blame you, at all. And that you can't live your life in the past." Timber caressed his sister's face, wiping her tears with his thumb. "Take my word for it, Gloriosa. Don't chain yourself. Live your life. Make the most out of every moment. Don't worry about what may come tomorrow. Enjoy what you have today, and please rest easy knowing that I forgive you. I have a long time ago." Timber gently kissed Gloriosa's forehead, "I love you, big sis."

"I love you too, little brother."

The two siblings shared one final hug and Timber walked over to his friends. Flash wiped away his tears with his sleeve. "I still can't believe it." he said, his voice cracking, "I mean, If I had known…"

"There's nothing you could have done." Timber said, placing a hand on Flash's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I really missed you, buddy."

"I missed you too."

Timber took Twilight's hand and kissed it like a gentleman and smiled at the happy couple. "You guys, are two of the most talented, beautiful, and most courageous people I have ever met. I'm proud of both of you."

"We're proud of you too, Timber." Twilight said, shedding tears. "Not about the dying part, but everything else.

Timber took both Flash and Twilight's hands and placed them together until their fingers were intertwined. "Be good to each other." he said. The two pulled out their wooden wolf keychains, making Timber smile warmly.

"The strength of the pack is the wolf." Twilight said.

"And the strength of the wolf is the pack." Flash finished.

Timber cupped his hands around his mouth and let out the same howl he did in his wolf form, and Flash and Twilight followed his action, howling as well. The three friends laughed an shared one final group hug farewell.

"Thank you. For everything." Timber waved farewell to the Rainbooms, Rarity wiping away her tears with a hankie, and finally, Timber approached Kuvira. "And you…I can see you've been chained to the past like my sister." he said. "Let me ask you this; If one story has an unhappy ending, what do you do?"

Kuvira blinked in confusion. "I don't know."

"You write a new one…and I think you just started."

The earthbender smiled softly as the ghostly human slowly stepped back, waving farewell to everyone, and blowing his sister a farewell kiss. Fireflies and leaves spiraled all around Timber, transforming him back into his world form, only this time the world did not appear solid, but more as a mist, blue and transparent, leaving behind streams of radiant lights as he ran up towards the night sky, rising upwards into the heavens before disappearing. From a distance, a star shimmered high above, followed by the sound of beautiful howling.

Gloriosa smiled, finally feeling at peace to have made amends with her brother. For the first time, she felt now she could finally move forward with her life. But she wasn't the only one.

Kuvira placed her hand on her new friend's shoulder, who hugged her in gratitude. "Thank you, Kuvira."

The earthbender didn't say anything and simply hugged her back. She felt the warmth and love all around her as the rest of her friends shared in the embrace. The stars above sparkling brighter than ever before.

(~)

Back inside the cave, Gloriosa was happily mingling with several donors, when one man in particular approached her. "Excuse me, Gloriosa Daisy?" he asked. The man was tan, had brown hair and brown eyes, wearing an expensive suit.

"Yes. Can I help you?"

"Glad you asked, because I'm here to help you." he said, speaking in a kind humble, somewhat southern manner. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Filthy Rich."

"Oh, I think my father mentioned you before. You used to go to camp here when you were in high school."

"Yes, I did. I've made my fondest memories in these here woods, just like everyone else here tonight. I also heard about the situation you had with my old college, Mr. Gladmane. I personally want to apologize for what he put you through."

"Oh, well, thank you, but I don't think I'll have to worry about him again."

"You most certainly won't, because I want to make sure no other chicanery fellow ever lays a finger on this here camp. Which is why I came here to you with an offer."

"An offer?"

"Yes, ma'am. I would like to personally make this camp a part of my Go Green campaign! Where my executives and I help protect places such as yours. If you ever want to add anything, hire more employes to help you out, I'll see to it you have all the fundings you need to make this place run smoothly."

Gloriosa was beyond speechless. "I…I…you're serious?!"

"When it comes to conserving places that mean just as much to my old friends as it does to my family, I am nothing but serious. Of course, all you really need to do is add the GG logo on your Camp name, but other than that, whatever you decide to d with the camp is your saying." Filthy Rich chuckled in surprise when Gloriosa hugged him in gratitude. "I'm assuming that's a yes on your part?"

"That's an absolute yes! Thank you Mr. Filthy Rich! Thank you!"

"Please, just call me Rich." he said, giving Gloriosa a firm handshake.

(~)

Back on stage, Sunset Shimmer took the mic, "Hey, everybody! Having a good time?" she asked, receiving a roaring applauds as her response. "This next song is one written by my two best friends, Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry."

She stepped aside allowing for the two to take center stage, and the Rainbooms readied their instruments. Once the music began, Twilight and Flash sang their hearts out, prompting everyone to get on their feet.

(Superstar by Jessie J)

 **Twilight:**

 _Oh, I, never knew I_

 _Would make it out and come this far_

 _Oh, I, never knew I_

 _Would see the day_

 _We'd come together_

 **Flash:**

 _Oh, it's not like anything I've ever felt before!_

 _Yeaaah, baby!_

Twilight gave a sly smile, and using her levitation magic, she ripped the upper part of her dress, revealing a knee high skirt mad loosing her hair. Flash smiled at her sudden change in attire, and continued their song

 **Flash and Twilight:**

 _You!_

 _You make me happy_

 _You keep me laughing_

 _You make my world a better place_

 _You_

 _You are my rainbow_

 _Color my day so bright_

 _I wanna stay forever with_

 _My superstar_

 _My superstar_

 _You shine so bright into my heart_

 _My superstar_

 _My superstar_

 _You shine so bright into my heart_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _You're shinning into my heart!_

Once they hit the hight note, the two ponies up right then and there and started dancing above the crowd, flapping their wings like something out of a dream. While Equestrian Fluttershy and Rarity held Iris and Hiro, and Applejack held Equestrian Flash and Twilight's baby, the infants respected parents danced to the lyrics.

Despite Asami being pregnant, she could still dance pretty well. Mako spun Korra like they always did during these kinds of events, and Twilight and Flash…did their awkward pony dance which they also did during these events.

Starlight danced with Sunburst while Kuvira danced with Gloriosa and Flithy Rich. Apple Bloom danced with Tender Taps, Scootaloo danced with Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon, and Zafron danced with Gaby and Petunia.

Spike, Naga, Pabu and Dog Spike danced happily while barking. Dog Spike couldn't be happier that Flash was going to be officially part of his and Twilight's family.

 **Twilight:**

 _Oh, I, never knew I_

 _Would have it all_

 _Would have it all_

 **Flash:**

 _Oh, I, never knew I_

 _Would feel so good_

 _Would feel the fall_

 _Flash and Twilight:_

 _Oh, I, never knew I_

 _Would live the dream_

 _It's so surreal_

 _Oh, I, never knew I_

 _Would see the day, we'd come together_

 _Oh, it's not like anything I've ever felt before_

 _Before_

 _Befoooore!_

Sonata, Adagio and Aria danced closest to the stage, only to be surprised when the Rainbooms themselves asked the tree to join them. Adagio and Aria were hesitant at first, but thanks to Sonata's encouragement, they accepted the invite. They were each given individual microphones, much to their surprise. Tthey could still sing rather well, it just no longer hypnotized anyone within hearing range anymore. They girls happily encouraged the three sisters to sing with them. Maybe now they could use their voices to spread joy rather than animosity.

 **The Dazzlings, Rainbooms, Flash and Twilight:**

 _You!_

 _You make me happy_

 _You keep me laughing_

 _You make my world a better place_

 _You_

 _You are my rainbow_

 _Color my day so bright_

 _I wanna stay forever with_

 _My superstar_

 _My superstar_

 _You shine so bright into my heart_

 _My superstar_

 _My superstar_

 _You shine so bright into my heart_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _You're shinning into my heart!_

The Dazzlings couldn't believe how beautiful they sounded together. This was the first time they had ever sang simply for the joys of it. To think, all this time, all they really needed to do in order to gain an audience was to sing from their hearts. And together as a family. With friends, to boot.

Twilight and Flash continued their magic dance, now accompanied by several other couples, thanks to some magic from the two Princesses. Folks danced in the air, laughing and having the best time.

 _You're shinning bright_

 _Bright, bright, bright_

 _You're shinning so bright_

 _Yeah, yeaaaah_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _You're shinning into my heart!_

 _Yeah, yeah!_

Iris reached out her hand to touch the hand of Twilight and Flash's baby, and once the ends of their fingers tapped each other, a spark of magic came shooting out, hitting the chandelier, creating a disco-ball effect with multiple colors dancing around the surface of the cave.

The two pairs of parents noticed what their children did, and only smiled proudly. Clearly, these two little princesses would become a very powerful duo indeed. Just like their mothers.

Sunset jumped down from the stage, to join Starlight, Kuvira and Gloriosa in a dance. Kuvira never knew she could feel this happy. For the first time, she didn't see herself as the siren who tried to destroy the world. She no longer allowed her past mistakes dictate who she was tonight, or who she would be from now on. Even if several other people would still need some time to fully forgive her, perhaps the only ones who's opinions really mattered where the ones who accepted her, and offered her something she was too scared to accept, to believed she didn't deserve it. Something she always had, but had forgotten.

The Magic of Friendship.

 **Everyone:**

 _You!_

 _You make me happy_

 _You keep me laughing_

 _You make my world a better place_

 _You_

 _You are my rainbow_

 _Color my day so bright_

 _I wanna stay forever with_

 _My superstar_

 _My superstar_

 _You shine so bright into my heart_

 _My superstar_

 _My superstar_

 _You shine so bright into my heart_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _My love, my love, my love_

 _You're shinning into my heart!_

As everyone danced the night away, the sound of a harmonious howl could be heard from outside, perfectly in sync with the song.

 _*(~)*_

 _ **Hebrews 10:7~**_

 _Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more"_

 _*(~)*_

 **So yes, even in death, Timber was extremely relevant to the plot. Did you really think I would just kill this guy off just for the heck of it?**

 **Anyway, I only have one more chapter to go, which should be out by next week. Fingers crossed.**

 **God bless *kiss kiss***


	13. The Magic will Always Remain

_*(~)*_

 _ **Romans 6:17~**_

 _But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,_

 _*(~)*_

 **The Magic will always remain**

The following day, after all of the guests had left, Team Avatar, guided by Gloriosa explored deeper into the caves, finding even more sparkling multicolored geodes that contained strong essence of Equestrian magic within them. Korra and Equestrian Twilight traced their fingers across them, and nodded in silence to each other.

"How old is this cave?" Twilight asked Gloriosa.

"I don't know. Hundreds, thousands of years, maybe."

"That's what I thought." Twilight and Korra walked closer down the path, only to find a long ditch inside, almost deep enough for one to fall into a pitch black abyss.

That is, until they saw a shimmering glow not too far down. The two gained their wings and gently flew downwards to see where the glow was coming from. And just as they suspected, it was indeed magic from their world.

Which had leaked into the cave via a second portal that led to the Everfee forest in Equestria. It was smaller, compared to the mirror back home, but it most certainly was a piece of it. It had the same energy, the same exterior, even the same rippling effect when one placed their hands through. Twilight extended her hand, to which she saw it turn into a hoof again.

"Camp Everfree. Everfree Forest." Korra said, examining the mirror-like portal, extending her hand into it where it came out from the other side. "Makes perfect sense to me."

(~)

The others watched as the two, along with Kuvira and Equestrian Applejack, earthbended each and every last geode, placing them all into plastic bags, while wearing protective gloves as to not get effected.

Pinkie Pie spoke first, "Okay, so let me get this straight. There are really two portals that lead from Equestria to this world. The one Pony Twilight used was a mirror for her to come to Canterlot High. But the one _here_ leads to the Everfree Forest in Equestria _there_ to _here_ at Camp Everfree, which opens once every thirty moons-whatever that means-so the geodes absorbed the magical energy from the portal for all this time, and the HUGE amount of Equestrian magic was what gave Gloriosa, Kuvira and us our new powers when we came in contact with them, after they already stole our magic when we first came here years ago!"

Pinkie inhaled a deep breath, her eyes practically bulging out of her head before exhaling.

"That about sums it up." Twilight said.

"But, how is there a second portal?" Equestrian Rarity asked, "I thought the only one was the mirror Twilight had."

"Actually, The mirror originated _from_ the Everfree Forest." Sunset said, "When I first discovered it, I did some research but all I could find was that it was forged from a mirror in the Everfree forest into a mirror to keep it safe in case anyone wandered into it."

"Well, they must not have gotten all of it." Korra said, "That portal was small, but big enough for Equestrian magic to sink through every time it opened."

"But how did the geodes get effected?" human Fluttershy asked.

"Well, some gemstones can absorb magical energy and sustain it."

"Like absorbing electromagnetic pollution?" Human Twilight said.

"Kind of. And since they absorbed it every single time the portal opened, more and more magic got sucked in, to the point that they became fully magical stones. Since this world doesn't have magic as its main source like back home, here it works differently. It manifests a person's deepest desires, transforming what they are inside, into the outside. Basically, any magical powers you guys have is a "reflection" of what's already there."

"Like when we pony up." Human Applejack said.

"Or how our powers match our personalities." Rainbow Dash said, demonstrating her super speed.

"The same thing happened when I unleashed the magic in the Friendship Games." Twilight said, "The magic reacted to what I wanted and distorted it. Like Korra said, magic here is more "literal" and reflective."

"That explains the plant powers." Gloriosa said, looking down at her own hands, "The geodes knew how much I wanted to keep this land, so they gave me domain over it. Even the ability to make a copy of my brother."

"Well, that explains why you got it, but, how did I get my magic?" Kuvira asked.

It was then, Gloriosa remembered, "Of course! When we shook hands, I felt the geodes react somehow. I didn't think of it before, but maybe when we touched, the geodes reacted and gave you the same powers as me."

"But, a lot of us have been around the geodes and nothing happened." Kuvira said, only to have Korra place her hand on her shoulder.

"Like I said, the magic here manifests what's already there." Korra explained, "Unlike Gloriosa or anyone else here, you and the girls have already been exposed to Equestrian magic. You're an earthbender, which means you already have magic. The geodes must have sensed it, and maybe…it sensed how similar you two really are."

The realization caught both Kuvira and Gloriosa by surprise.

"Gloriosa wanted to keep the camp at any cost and used her powers for just that. You, on the other hand, used them to save everyone." Korra placed both hands on Kuvira's shoulder, making eye contact. "Tell me, Vira. What do plants represent?"

Kuvira blinked, her eyed darting back and forth in thought. "Uh…earth?"

"Well, yeah, but most importantly, they represent something you needed. _Growth_."

It was then, everything clicked. The powers, Kuvira coming here, meeting Gloriosa, making friends. It all finally made sense.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"Well, I didn't know about the crazy plant lady." Korra leaned to the side, waving awkwardly at Gloriosa. "No offense!"

"None taken." Gloriosa replied, only to have both Sunset, Starlight and Twilight wrap their arms around her.

"Join the club!" the three said in unison.

"But, before I came to see you, and after Sunset and Starlight told me about what was going on, I had one of my prophesy rhyming things."

 _Revenge was sworn_

 _A heart torn_

 _From the ashes of doom_

 _A flower is in bloom_

 _Separate souls, a single heart_

 _Two tragic ends_

 _Can have a new start_

"I didn't entirely understand it before, but something was telling me that you coming here was the best thing for you. And, it was a hunch but…maybe, you could find someone you relate to."

Kuvira didn't know what to say. She could have spent the rest of her days in that cold prison cell, mopping about her past, and instead, this merciful princess offered her a chance to change. To grow. And she did it by not only opening her heart to those who wanted to help her, but also come to understand someone else. She didn't think she could help change anything, but as it turns out, she could. All she needed was to face her fears, and when she did, not only had she gained new friends, but also helped another person, so much like herself, from falling into darkness.

The former dictator wrapped her arms around Korra, crying into her shoulders. "I'm sorry I hurt you. And I'm sorry you had to go through so much just to save me from my own mistakes."

Korra wiped away Kuvira's tears, smiling warmly. A smile only a mother, or sister could give. "Saving my friends…is worth every scar."

And that was enough for Kuvira. She didn't feel she couldn't change. She now knew, one hundred percent, that she was not the person she was before. That version of herself was long gone, just like the Demon Sunset Shimmer, Midnight Sparkle, or even the Equality obsessed Starlight Glimmer. They may have been them before, but not anymore. Because they had found a magic that broke this shackles and gave them what they really needed.

"So, what are we gonna do about these things?" Bolin asked, holding one of the heavy bags with the stones inside.

"Once we cross over into Equestria, they should be less of an issue. The longer they remain here, well…you know."

The Rainbooms, Flash and Gloriosa included, all gathered together, holding their respected geodes in their hands. They nodded in silent agreement.

"It's for the best." said human Twilight.

"What do you mean?" Sunset Shimmer asked in confusion.

"We think it's best we give up our powers, along with the geodes."

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted in unison, some dropping the bags they were carrying.

"B-B-But you'll never pony up again!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, "You guys will never be able to levitate anything, or talk animals or-" she was silenced when Applejack rose her hand up.

"It's okay, Apple Bloom We know what happens if we give them up. But, think about everything that's happened in the past. Four times, we've had folks misuse magic they didn't understand, and it nearly cost the entire world."

"Yes, but we've done so much good with it!" Equestrian Twilight said.

"Because we had _you_." said Fluttershy, to Sunset, Twilight and the rest of Team Avatar. "All of you. Without you guys, we never would have fully understood our powers, and we never would have been able to stop any of the evil we fought before. But this isn't high school anymore. You all have families, and jobs, and we have our lives too."

"We missed the magic when it first disappeared, but we never felt it was completely gone." said Rainbow Dash.

"You're right." Korra said, smiling proudly, radiating with all the poise and confidence of a true princess. "I know it's heartbreaking to have to give up your new super powers, but keep in this in mind; You never would have gained them if you didn't already have them."

"What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Korra nodded to Sunset, allowing her to step forward, speaking to all of her human friends. "Pinkie, you will always find a way to make anything burst with color." Sunset Shimmer said, "Fluttershy, you're a natural with animals, and you always will be. Rainbow Dash, you're the fastest chick I know, and you never think twice when it comes to helping your friends. Rarity, you shine brighter than any diamond. Applejack, your physical strength is nothing compared to your strength of will and determination. Flash, buddy, you said so yourself: Protecting your friends _is_ your job. And Twilight, you started out so much like me. Scared, confused, and maybe a bit selfish. But I've seen you grow into such a strong, confident and creative person. And I couldn't be prouder. Even back during the freshman fair, while I was still bitter at the time, I could always see that you all shared a special kind of magic….The Magic of Friendship. In fact, when you think about it, all this time the magic from the portal didn't really change anything. It just physically showed what we always had inside, and who were always meant to be."

Twilight wiped away her tears. "Sunset's right." she turned to face her friends. "Even if we're saying goodbye to our physical powers, we never have to say goodbye to the magic inside of us. The kind of magic we never would have discovered all on our own, and we should spread that same magic to others who need it."

The Rainbooms couldn't agree more. Even without the ability to run at super sonic speed, or lift a car with one finger, or create diamonds out of thin air, it didn't change who they have become. The magic they always had, it was something that will never fade away, no matter what came their way. Even after they all began living their own lives, their friendship was still just as strong as it was, if not stronger.

Their choice was made. Standing together, while holding their respected geodes. With all of their concentration, auras of blue yellow, pink, orange, white and purple extended from their bodies, into the geodes themselves. Once the process was complete, they handed the stones to the Princesses, who took them with a heavy heart. It didn't feel right to take these powers, but they were right. Not everyone in this would could be trusted with this kind of magic. These talented people were making such a great sacrifice for the safety and well being of others. They really have grown.

"I'm sorry." said Princess Twilight, shedding a tear.

Human Twilight smiled in reassurance, and wiped away the tear. "Don't be. If anything, we thank you. For everything." The two Twilights shared a hug, while Equestrian Flash carried their little daughter, who giggled at Human Twilight. "By the way, have you guys decided on a name for her yet?"

Human Pinkie Pie rose her hand enthusiastically, "Oh, oh, can I pick? How about….Cookie Cream Pie!"

"Ooooh! I love it!" Equestrian Pinkie said, smiling with glee.

"Actually, we've already chosen a name." said Princess Twilight as she and her husband held their little bundle of joy in their arms. "Akari. Princess Akari."

Korra and Mako knew why they decided to name their child this. Since they had already named their own daughter after an Equestrian rainbow flower, Twilight and Flash gave their own child a name originally from their world. And it fit perfectly, because the name itself meant "light", which matched the child and her heritage to a T. Just like their daughter's name did.

Sunset smiled, "I think it's perfect." she said, before giving the child a kiss on the forehead.

The Rainbooms all huddled together, welcoming Sunset in a loving embrace, along with Kuvira, Starlight, the entire Team Avatar. Gloriosa was hesitant to join, until Kuvira extend her hand and welcomed her in. Even without their powers, the Rainbooms could still feel that familiar spark from the day they first all became friends. It was still there, and always will be.

(~)

"Okay, so we know this week at camp has been…a memorable one." Principal Celestia said, standing underneath he gazebo with her sister and Gloriosa. "So, after much thought, and some speaking with your parents, Gloriosa decided to expend our stay for one more week!"

The students cheered happily. While their stay wasn't a complete downer, it sure would be nice to enjoy some camp fun without any magical incidents this time.

Kuvira stood a few feet away, leaning against a tree. Team Avatar Harmony was just about to leave, until she spotted Asami Sato talking with human Rainbow Dash. During all this time, she had yet to fully approach the pregnant woman, but she figured now was as good a time as ever. With a deep breath, she walked on over. Asami nodded to Rainbow, allowing them to have a moment to talk. The multicolored haired girl complied.

"Asami…I…this isn't easy for me to say, and I know it's even harder for you to hear. But, I just-"

"Kuvira." Asami interrupted, crossing her arms, "I'm not going to lie. Every time I look at you, I feel…this sense of anger. And don't get me wrong, I know you've changed. You saved all of these people, and you helped someone overcome their own past. I'm proud of you for that, I really am. And I know how hard it is to get over something. Unfortunately, that's something my father and I have always had in common. I don't let go of things so easily. I've been hurt by the people I trusted my heart with, which has made me stronger in experience. But, I'm still mad because…" Asami didn't know what else to say at this point.

"I'm sorry." was all Kuvira could manage to say. "I know I hurt you, and I've been beating myself senselessly for taking away the only family you had left. I know, nothing I say or do will ever change that, and I don't blame you for not forgiving me."

"That's just it. I already have."

Kuvira was speechless. This was not the kind of response she would expect from Asami. "What?"

"I'm not angry about what you did to my father. Not anymore, after seeing how you've practically starved and worked yourself to death because of it. I'm mad because…because, neither of us had the courage to talk to each other about it. I'm mad for not confronting you about it, and I'm mad you never spoke to me about it in person."

"I was scared."

"So was I. I was scared of loosing it, and making you even worse than you already did."

"But, you forgive? When?"

"The moment I saw you exit from that new portal, I saw the regret in your eyes. And after giving Bolin a hard time after he came back, also after giving my father and even harder time…" Asami fiddled with her fingers a bit, looking down, "And the times where I was hard on Korra and Mako when I was younger. I didn't want to repeat that cycle anymore. But, I still am. I didn't visit you because I hated you, I didn't because after hearing about what you've been going through I didn't want to make matters worse. And I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Kuvira said, "I took something from you. You have every right not to speak to me."

"Still, you were a victim just like he was." Asami said, "He fell into his pride and grief, just like you did. After hearing about Gloriosa and her brother making amends…it inspired me to finally do that with you. I made amends with my father before he died…and if he was here, I know he'd forgive you too. Because, aside Gloriosa or Korra…he'd be another person with whom you would relate with."

Kuvira, never imagined that the woman who she felt she owed the most….would be saying such heartfelt things to her. All this time, she believed Asami would feel nothing but hatred towards her, but instead, she showed forgiveness. This was so unreal. She didn't know what to do. Well, her instincts told her one thing.

With tearful eyes and sobs, she hugged Asami, who was startled at first, but slowly returned the gesture. She allowed Kuvira to cry, while Asami herself shed a few tears. No more words needed to be said. All was said and done, and Kuvira felt even lighter than before.

Then, suddenly, a flower began to bloom from the ground up, much to their surpass. Asami looked at Kuvira, who only shook her head and shrugged. She didn't do this. Not this time. The flower was a lotus, which was peculiar indeed. Its petals were closed until they opened once more. The petals began to open, emitting faint sparkles of gold, revealing a wooden circular object inside.

Asami picked the object, her eyes widened in astonishment. Her breath caught in her throat as she held the little wooden object. It was a Pai Sho tile…the Lotus tile to be exact. It was her father's favorite tile because he always said it reminded him of Asami.

"How…how is this possible?" Asami asked, only for the two of them to hear a familiar howling, being carried in the soft breeze that blew their way. The leafs spiraled around them and reached all the way up into the air. A smile formed on Kuvira's face.

"I guess Timber was doing a friend of favor." she said, making Asami feel even more joyful than she already did.

"Asami!" Bolin called out to his wife, "Come on, we're going home."

(~)

Team Avatar Harmony bid their farewells to everyone, Twilight and Rarity levitating all the bags of geodes, ready to take them back where they belonged. Starlight decided to go back home, having missed her husband, and to help the girls figure out the whole geode situation. Sunset, on the other hand, decided to stay for the extra week to spend more time with her old friends.

Starlight hugged human Fluttershy one last time. "It was so good seeing you again, Starlight."

"You too." Starlight then waved at Flash and Twilight, "Congrats, again!"

Korra also bid her farewells to the Rainbooms, and each one had a turn in holding baby Iris, and even Akari. Pinkie Pie was the last one to hold Iris. The little baby sucked on her finger, "Aww! She's so cute!" she cooed and Iris stopped sucking her finger, which emitted peculiar little sparkles as a result.

"She sure likes to suck on fingers, don't she?" said human Applejack.

Mako gently took the baby back, "Weird, she's never done that before." he said, as Iris started sucking on her own thumb, which made everyone who laid eyes on her swoon at the adorableness.

Asami noticed Gloriosa eyeing her peculiarly. "What?"

"You know, you look a lot like one of the characters from LKT."

Upon hearing the name Asami frowned. "Oh yeah. _That_ show. It took me years to finally get over that ending." a brief pause passed and then she snapped again, "Why did they do that to Kendal, after all that built up! Just, _why?!_ "

Then, Gloriosa chuckled nervously, "Oh, uh…then I suppose you won't be happy to hear about them making a movie following the finale, huh?"

Asami's eyes widened, while her left one started to twitch. Bolin sighed and turned to his sister-in-law. "Korra, would you mind?"

Korra rolled her eyes but complied by creating a bubble around Asami, who started to angrily rant her frustrations about the news. Thankfully, the bubble was sound proof so nobody could hear what she was saying.

"How long does this go on for?" human Rainbow asked with a deadpan stare.

"Twenty minutes." Bolin then gently pushed the bubble inside the cave, with his wife still ranting. "Let's go, honey. I'll make you some tea when we get home."

While Asmai was having another episode, Korra and Kuvira hugged one final time. "Have fun."

"Thanks again, Korra."

"Don't worry about it. I'm the Princess of Friendship, it's what I do."

The two laughed as the group parted ways. Even the sirens got to say farewell to the Rainbooms. Words could not express the relief and joy they felt when they were forgiven.

"Come back soon, okay!" Pinkie Pie said to the girls.

"We will." Sonata said.

Adagio and Aria gave Kuvira a regretful look. "I know we only pretended to be your friends before but…you think we could start over? When you get back?" Adagio said hopefully, to which Kuvira simply replied with a gentle nod and a kind smile, silently replying 'yes'.

With that, they all made there way into the cave, throwing each of the bags into the portal, and one by one, and each of the Team Avatar members waved farewell. With each other's help, they managed to get through the portal, with Korra and Iris being the last ones. Once on the other side, which was really a cave in the Everfree Forest in Equestria, near the Tree of Harmony itself, the team speculated on the geodes, who's magic was already beginning to stabilize due to finally being in their home world. So long as they remained here, they wouldn't cause any more trouble.

"So, what do we do about these things?" Spike asked, picking up one of the geodes. "And the portal?"

However, Korra looked at the geodes and then at the small portal. She traced her finger across the surface, sensing the magic of the stone. A smile formed across her face. "I think I know exactly what we can do."

(~)

Back at Camp, while everyone resumed their camp activities, Kuvira decided it was high time to tell the Rainbooms something she had been hiding from them. The girls noticed Kuvira's uneasiness and circled around her, showing visible concern.

"What's wrong, Kuvira?" Fluttershy asked.

"Girls, there's….something I need to tell you. You're already aware of my involvement with the sirens and what I did to Republic City but…" she hung her head in shame, closing her eyes tightly. "I did something, to someone and-"

"We know." Rainbow interrupted, catching Kuvira by surprise.

"What?"

"We know about what you did to Asami's dad. We always did."

"What?!" Kuvira rapidly turned to face Sunset, who blushed. "You said you didn't tell them!"

"Well, you were already feeling bad enough as it was. Besides, I didn't directly tell them how it happened, all I said was that Hiroshi didn't make it."

"We just put two and two together." said Rarity, "It really wasn't hard to figure out when she told the story, honestly."

Kuvira felt she would cry again. "Girls, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I feel so awful for what happened and-"

"Kuvira." Applejack interrupted by placing her hand on Kuvira's shoulder. Smiling compassionately. "We meant what we said. We're here for you no matter what. Whatever you did in the past doesn't change it. We're your friends, don't ever doubt that."

And Kuvira didn't doubt it. Not anymore.

(~)

Kuvira was having the time of her life with her new friends, fishing, singing around the camp fire, having pillow fights, and taking pictures with her new friends. She formed such a bond with each of them. Rarity designed her a new camp outfit, she and Pinkie made delicious treats with Safron, she sailed with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, rock climbed with Rainbow Dash, they even had a sing-a-long time around the fire, with Flash and Twilight playing acoustic guitar for others to sing to their favorite songs.

Sunset had a blast spending time with her old friends again, and having Kuvira around was just the icing on the cave. Gloriosa and Kuvira bonded quickly, becoming fast friends, sharing experiences, even having some moments where they would cry together. Kuvira never imagined she would feel so at home here. She spent the entire week helping campers, taking the lead in some activities, and basically forming relationships built on trust. She felt they trusted her, and she trusted the Rainbooms with her friendship.

 **Sunset Shimmer:**

 _Somewhere's a book_

 _With chapters still blank_

 **All:**

 _Insi-i-ide_

 **Rarity:**

 _It's the book of our lives_

 _And the story is ours_

 **All:**

 _To write_

 **Sunset Shimmer:**

 _Ours to write_

 **Applejack:**

 _Some pages fade_

 _While others are black_

 **All:**

 _And whi-i-ite_

 **Fluttershy:**

 _And the story begins_

 _Again every time_

 **All:**

 _We try_

 **Applejack:**

 _Every time we try_

 **All:**

 _And hope shines eternal_

 _And friends are all I need_

 _(All I need)_

 _And hope shines eternal_

 _(Shines eternal)_

 _And the future is always bri-i-i-ight_

 _When you're here with me_

The words "thank you" would never be enough to express the gratitude she felt towards Korra, Sunset, Starlight and practically everyone else. She was even grateful to Timber Spruce, for showing her forgiveness was indeed possible.

Speaking of Timber, Gloriosa was beyond words when she saw what the campers did for their second camp gift. A large wooden statue of Timber himself, with his wolf form beside him. On the pedestal from which he stood, there was a metal plate that read: _"The strength of the pack is the wolf. And the strength of the wolf is the pack."_

This gift was the greatest thing Gloriosa could have ever received. Her brother would always be a part of this camp, in mind and in spirit. Even if he wasn't physically with her, from that day forward, she could still hear the soft melody of howling in the night. A sure sign her little brother was always watching over her.

 **Twilight Sparkle:**

 _I've fought through the darkness_

 _And come out the_

 **All:**

 _Other si-i-ide_

 **Rainbow Dash:**

 _For rain clouds will clear_

 _The way for the_

 **All:**

 _Sunny sky_

 **Applejack:**

 _The way for the sunny sky-y-y_

 **Pinkie Pie:**

 _I've been afraid_

 _And it stayed through the longest_

 **All:**

 _Ni-i-ight_

 **Kuvira:**

 _Through the longest ni-i-ight_

 **Pinkie Pie:**

 _But morning still comes_

 _And with it, it brings a light_

 **Kuvira:**

 _Oh, it brings a li-i-ight_

When the day to leave came, Gloriosa and Kuvira promised to always stay in touch, and bid farewell to the Rainbooms as well, congratulating Flash and Twilight once more. The two friends made their way into the cave, but Kuvira looked back once more. Seeing everyone still standing at the opening. With a longing in her heart, she ran forward and hugged them once more. She didn't have the words to express how she felt for them. Howe much they have come to mean to her. She finally understood what friendship really was. And this time, she was sure to never let it go again.

With tearful eyes, but with a new heart and new purpose, Kuvira and Sunset made their way into the portal, once again, returning home. But once thing was certain, this was not the last they would see of the Gloriosa Daisy, Camp Eveerfree, or the Rainbooms. That wasn't just hopeful or optimistic thinking. That, was a promise.

 **Everyone:**

 _And hope shines eternal_

 _And friends are all I need_

 _(Friends are all I need)_

 _And hope shines eternal_

 _(Shines eternal)_

 _And the future is always bri-i-i-ight_

 _The future is always bri-i-ight_

 _Yeah, the future is always bri-i-i-ight_

 _When you're here with me_

 _(~)_


	14. In Full Bloom

_*(~)*_

 _ **1 Corinthians 14:32-33~**_

 _And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints._

 _*(~)*_

 **In Full Bloom**

 _One year latter..._

Kuvira adjusted the strap over her shoulder. After Team Avatar had taken the geodes back from Camp Everfree, they worked long and hard to merge the remaining piece of the portal with the mirror, creating a brand new one right here in the cave. While the portal that lead to Canterlot High was now gone for good due to the move, it was probably for the best. Wouldn't want a repeat of the Fall Formal, now would we?

However, this mirror led to Camp Everfree, which would always be protected not only to Gloriosa and her family, but also because of the new addition.

Twilight and Korra concluded that certain gemstones, much like the Zenith stone which the sirens used to restore their power, had magical properties. Once they crossed over in from the portal, the geodes could be used almost like a commutation device. When one had a geode, the other could hear them so long as they held it in their hand. With a few magical tweaks here and there, the girls managed to stabilize this power, and surround the portal with them. Just like Twilight did with the magic of her communication book and her love of science, they could use the magic of the geodes so that whoever was wearing one they could pass through the portal and back again. So now, even when it opened on its own, the geodes would sustain the magic to keep anyone who wasn't wearing a geode from passing through, and to keep any magic from leaking further as well.

In short, now the geodes were used as an access point. And now, with their magic more stabilized, they could no longer absorb the magic while in the other world.

Korra packed one last thing into Kuvira's bag. "Okay, you're all set. Got your geode?"

"I never take it off." she said, showcasing the green colored stone around her neck. "We'll be back in a few weeks. Promise."

"Don't worry about it. Even you need a vacation once in a while."

"Tell me about it." Sunset said, wiggling her finger into her ear, "I'm still deff from Asami's squealing once she found out the geode could work like phones. At the paste she's going, she'll have invented the first Equestrian cell phone."

"If you ask me, it's an improvement." Starlight said.

The four friends hugged once more and Sunset tapped Kuvira's shoulder. "Come on. I bet they're already asking where we are." she said, pulling out her geode from her pocket and Starlight did the same thing. The geodes around the new mirror glowed in response to theirs, allowing them full entrance. Once there, they once again received their physical makeover and walked up the stairs Gloriosa had placed to climb up on.

Once they exited the cave, she arrived at Camp Everfree. This time, they were welcoming students from Crystal Prep Academy, joined by their Principal, and Twilight's sister-in-law, Cadance.

Thanks to Filthy Rich's generous offer, the camp had expanded. With new speedboats for the lake, a taller rock climbing wall, more sufficient tents for the campers to sleep in, even an opened roof aviary where campers could feed the birds who swooped down to eat the delicious treats. Timber's statue still stood tall and proud, and campers took their picture with him. Gloriosa even told them stories about the mysterious wolf spirit who protected the camp and watched over anyone who was ever lost in the woods. It was was a great way to keep Timber's legacy alive.

The Rainbooms took time off from their studies this summer to help their old friend out. They owed her that much. Rarity even coaxed the campers to have a fashion show, to which she had just finished designing the most fabulous camp looks. Some habits are hard to break. The female students used the dock as their runway for the rehearsal.

"This is only a preview." Rarity said, "I've got another entire line I'll debut for the real thing."

Gloriosa laughed alongside, her and Applejack. "Thanks you guys. I really appreciate you helping me out this summer."

"It was our pleasure, Gloriosa." Applejack said.

"Got room for three more?" Sunset Shimmer asked, once she, Starlight and Kuvira made their presence known. The Rainbooms all ceased what they were doing and ran to greet their friends. As always, by hugging.

"Sunset!"

"Starlight!"

"Kuvira!" Pinkie PIe shouted the loudest, giving Kuvira the tightest hug one could think of. The earthbender nearly suffocated, but thankfully, the pink haired girl released her. Still, Kuvira was just as happy to see her old friend as anyone.

"It's great to see you too, Pinkie Pie." Kuvira's heart filled with joy as she was once again surrounded by her friends. Around their necks, they each carried a geode stone, carved into an ordinary necklace, with a symbol resembling their pony counterparts' cutie marks. Gloriosa wore one as well, pink in color, similar to her skin, with a daisy symbol. These stones not only allowed them to crossover if they wished to see their friends, but also to stay in touch. This way, they would always carry a bit of Equestrian with them.

"We're so glad you guys could make it." Fluttershy said.

"Me too. I've got so much to tell you." Kuvira said.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Oh, what a coincidence. So do we. Well, more Flash and Twilight actually."

All eyes turned to the now married couple, who were just as excited to tell them about the news as everyone else. The two smiled broadly before revealing the truth in perfect sync. "We're having a baby!"

Sunset gasped with delight, while Starligth cheered, leaping into the air, while Kuvira had her jaw dropped, while smiling. "Congratulations!"

Sunset immediately hugged the two. "I'm so happy for you! Let me guess, you're going to name her Akari too?"

"No. Actually, we're having a boy." Flash corrected, making Sunset blink in surprise.

"Oh. Well, never mind then."

Kuvira giggled and approached Gloriosa. The two smiled before hugging. The camp director now wore her hair in a low ponytail, and unlike before with the sunflower crown, she now wore a simple daisy hair clip. Even her wardrobe received an upgrade. She wore a simple white shirt with the Camp Everfree logo, a long multicolored scarf, and a knee long jean skirt, and brown medium heeled shoes.

"I really missed you, Vira."

"I missed you too."

"So, what do you think?" Gloriosa asked, showcasing how much the camp has improved. "The speedboats were Filthy Rich's idea. I always wanted to have them for the camp, but dad never had the money for it."

"It looks amazing." Kuvira said, wrapping her arm around her friend.

"Come on, ya'll! We've got a whole week of camp fun planned for the campers!" Applejack said as she and the others dispersed to return to their camp activities with the campers.

Kuvira, Starlight and Sunset remained for a while longer, watching each one of their Mirror World friends. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were rock climbing with campers, Rarity and Pinkie Pie with the student models, Fluttershy taught some shy campers how to feed the birds. Gloriosa was telling campers about the Timber statue, Flash Sentry happily gave guitar lessons and Twilight Sparkle was catching up with her former Crystal Prep classmates, who had grown tremendously since high school. Now much nicer than before, as well as vowing to keep the whole "Midnight Sparkle" fiasco a secret years ago. As least there were some folks they could trust with the whole magic business.

Speaking of magic, the three girls began to wonder if the Rainbooms ever felt empty without their physical powers. Their worries were put to rest when they saw something extraordinary happen. While each of their friends were busy doing what they did best, Kuvira, Sunset and Starlight could see spiritual projections of their pony ears, wings and tails. Transparent in appearance, but still there. They gained them each and every time they were true to their Element. True to who they had become. True to the real meaning of Equestria and what it represented.

It was clear that, in a strong way, this world already had magic, which was how the Equestrian magic was able to find its place so easily and so quickly. Maybe, they just needed to see the physical version in order to really see what they were meant to do all along. There definitely was a powerful magic guiding these girls in everything they did and everything they would do. They believed in it. They saw it. They knew it was real. That was enough for them each to change for the better, and now they were sharing that same experience with others. As it turns out, the magic from the portal was here for a reason after all. Even during those terrifying moments with the power hungry she-monsters.

It was here to reveal the Truth. And now, it was their turn to carry it on.

Knowing this, the three friends enjoyed the rest of their stay in peace. Every now and again, they would see their friends gain pony features. Even if they were invisible to everyone else, they could still see them in all of their pony glory. And every time, they felt that spark within them. The spark that ignited the flame, and the flame that led each of them back to the light at the end of the tunnel.

And if you have the courage to follow it, then you too can rewrite a sad ending, into a happy one. Just like Kuvira, Sunset, Starlight, Twilight, and even Gloriosa did.

A story for new generations to share and learn from, and for some, it would begin here where they would, as their new slogan bellow their entrance sign read….

 **Camp Everfree:**

 _"Embrace the Magic!"_

(~)

Back in the Everfree Forest, the Tree of Harmony radiant with a heavenly glow. But, on this night, it appeared to have been glowing even brighter than ever. The branches from which the physical Elements of Harmony once stood, suddenly began to shimmer, their respected colors radiating off the branches, emitting bright colors all across the cave walls.

Iris suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, crying. Korra and Mako rushed inside, fully awake, and Korra held the two-year-old in her arms. "It's okay, mommy and daddy are here." she said softly, and the baby slowly stopped crying. The star on her forehead gave a light glow before diminishing, and Iris calmed down, as if nothing happened. It was strange, Iris had never woken up spontaneously like this before.

At the exact same time she fell back asleep, the glow of the tree diminished as well, but the branches still emitted a faint glow. They still did not carry any jewels on them, but in the very spot where they once were, they still radiated with color.

This was only the beginning…

 _*(~)*_

 _ **1 Corinthians 14:32-33~**_

 _And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints._

 _*(~)*_

 **Well, that's the end of Legend of Everfee. I really hope I did a decent job with this one. Given my current status in life, and my main priority of writing my original books, it's kind of hard to put so much effort into a fanfic these days. I never like writing anything half baked. I want to put effort into it, a lesson I learned while writing this saga.**

 **Well, I guess we can't all be winners. Hope you guys had fun, God bless, *Kiss kiss***


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